ScarlettRich Dark Fruit Cake
August 8th 2008 06:51
Rich Dark Fruit Cake
About Rich Dark Fruit Cake
This moist, fruit-rich cake is so packed with flavour that you will not notice it has none of the fat of traditional recipes.
About Fruit cake
Fruit cake (or fruitcake) is a cake made with chopped candied and/or dried fruit, nuts and spices, and optionally soaked in spirits. In the United Kingdom certain rich versions may be iced and decorated. Fruit cakes are often served in the celebration of weddings and Christmas.
Fruitcake is also used, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States, as insulting slang for a ‘crazy person’ (e.g. “he’s a complete fruitcake”). It is derived from the expression “nutty as a fruitcake”, which was first recorded in 1935. It can also be used as a derogatory term to imply that someone is homosexual.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 32 slices
375gm / 13 oz ready-to-eat stoned prunes
6 tablespoons brandy, sherry or orange juice
200 gm / 7oz soft dark brown sugar
4 eggs
1 large lemon, finely grated zest
1 large orange, finely grated zest
350 gm / 12 oz plain white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
4 – 6 tablespoons skimmed milk
1. Heat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºF. Line a deep 23 cm / 9 inch round cake tin with baking paper.
2. Purée the prunes and brandy, or sherry or orange juice, to a smooth paste in a food processor or with hand-held mixer.
3. Transfer the purée to a large bowl; add the sugar, eggs, lemon zest and orange zest, and whisk until the mixture is pale, thick and fluffy.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder and mixed spice onto the prune mixture, then fold them in with a large metal spoon.
5. Fold in the dried fruit and enough milk to make a soft dropping consistency.
6. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth over the top.
7. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 160ºC / 325ºF. Continue baking for a further 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the cake is well risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, if, during baking, the top of the cake appears to be over-browning, cover it loosely with a piece of foil.
8. Leave the cake to cool in the tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then remove the cake from the tin, peel off the paper and leave to cool completely on the rack.
9. Store it wrapped in foil, or in an airtight container.
Tips:
The flavour of this cake becomes even fuller if it left to mature for a day or two before it is cut.
**From “Low Fat No Fat Cookbook” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia” **
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