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[soapdragon 587]

On the 'old' forum, under 'good things' (I think) there was a reciept for a basic boiled fruit cake which went back for absolutley eons! I used this a number of times and wanted to use this for the basis of my Christmas cake this year. I had thought that I had transcribed it but seem to have lost my notes and am now in a panic! Does anyone have this still or can anyone tell me where to find this if it is still on the Forum but maybe now under a different topic/name? Please help! Thank you!

[Cat tails 927]

Here you go!

 

[soapdragon 587]

Brilliant! Thanks, CT! How did you find that!? As it was under another heading, now defunct, I thought it might have gone forever! The Christmas cake is saved!

[Cat tails 927]

I used the “search” box. 

[soapdragon 587]

 

 

 

 

Thank you!

[Cat tails 927]

Make sure you click “all content” when searching! 

[Patricia W 336]

We’d be lost in cyber space without you, Cat tails.

[Alis girls 78]

Great recipe - used it many times - doesnt touch the sides with my work colleagues. 

 

[soapdragon 587]

Have made one 'basic' receipt for FIL's cake and will do another at the weekend with cherries, treacle etc to marzipan and ice for Christmas. And, CT, I have put the receipt in a safe place 

[Cat tails 927]

2 hours ago, soapdragon said:

And, CT, I have put the receipt in a safe place 

Hahaha! Smart Soapy! Hope the cakes turn out nice!

[clucker1 8]

Has anyone added alcohol to this cake? Would like to add brandy but not sure at what point I should add it...boil it in it ????! Or add it after

[soapdragon 587]

Oh YES! You can use brandy to soak the fruit rather than water - continue with the recipe in exactly the same way. I have just made this for our Christmas cake (2 weeks ago) and used Earl Grey tea to soak fruit BUT have been 'feeding' it  brandy each week. Did same last year and it was lovely! 

[Columbian 5]

I’ve been making this for over 50 years and find that recipients prefer it to Christmas Cake.  Boiled fruit cake is stickier and a different texture to a rich fruit cake.  This is my late mother’s recipe:

 

3 cups of mixed dried fruit

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

6oz margarine or butter (or a mix of both)

2 beaten eggs, large

2 cups self-raising flour

1 tablespoon ground almonds

1 dessertspoon marmalade

1/2 teaspoon mixed spice.

Good pinch of salt (about 1/3 teaspoon but adjust to taste)

Put fruit, water, sugar and fat into a saucepan and heat gently until simmering; simmer for 20 minutes.  Allow to cool and then stir in beaten eggs and flour, spices, marmalade and ground almonds.

I prefer to use Demerara sugar but granulated or soft brown is fine.  Any fruits and nuts can be added to the mix, e.g. pecan nuts, dried apricots, dried dates, Brazil nuts, glacé cherries, etc.

Makes one 8” round tin.  Bake in a slow oven 140degs.  I don’t have a timing but an 8” tin may well take 2hrs.  It is a matter of judgement and ones oven.  I’ve cooked this so often that it’s second nature so forget the ins and outs.

The big thing about cooking any fruit cake or cake which is in the oven for longer than an hour is to protect the cake from scorching on the outside.  Forget all those things about bits of brown paper - double line the cake tin (I use cake tin liners), wrap corrugated cardboard around the tin (mine have been cooked so often that they stay in shape); place a sheet or two of corrugated cardboard under the tin on a baking tray and, once the cake starts to colour, cover with a sheet of corrugated cardboard.  Take care not to set it alight in the oven; I have never done so but assume that it can happen.  If once cooked you think that the cake needs a little more colour then uncover it to allow it to brown a little more.  You will find that the cake is an even colour all the way through and does not have those awful burnt currants that I so hate.  (As my mother used to judge cookery classes we were always offered Christmas cake during The Season when visiting; the number of cups of tea we had to down in order to swallow the dark, dry outside of the cake with burnt currants - yuk.). Sometimes the cake will dip slightly in the middle but this does not affect the taste and can be hidden under piles of fruit and nuts coated in apricot jam.  I do this for cakes which are given as presents and they look lovely.  A small amount of the cake mixture can be microwaved to make an instant pudding.

Happy baking.

I only work in Imperial as my scales use lbs and ounces and my tins are in inches so you may need to convert the weights, etc.

[clucker1 8]

Thank you so very much Soapdragon and Columbian. I make this lovely recipe a lot! Most weeks! It’s a staple in our house but I’ve never tried it with alcohol but will try this year. Columbian , your recipe looks lovely too, so I’ll give it a go. Thank you so much. 🍰

[Alis girls 78]

SD you'll all be sozzled. Thanks for new recipe Columbian. Love family recipes. 

[Blackrocksrock 40]

I also have used this recipe for last few years.   Add port instead of water, treacle, mixed chopped nuts and cherries.   It keeps very well.

[soapdragon 587]

I have literally just iced mine! Made it at the end of November and have been drip feeding brandy  before marzipanning on Sunday. Not sure we'll be able to face it until Boxing Day (or later!) though!

[Cat tails 927]

Not a fruit cake, but I did make my first ever lemon curd today, to go on an Oreo crumb base. Horribly good!

[mullethunter 597]

LOVE lemon curd. Also find it very comforting to make and I have my late great aunts hand written recipe which says in capital letter at the bottom ‘DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL’

[Cat tails 927]

Hahahaha, mine said to bring it to a boil and it turned out fine! But might be blasphemy as it also said to use whole eggs and not just the yolk... 😅

[clucker1 8]

Update! Absolutely delicious with boiling the fruit in brandy. Everyone loved it...will definitely repeat next year!

[Columbian 5]

Definitely don’t allow lemon curd, or any curd, to boil - you will have lemon scrambled eggs.  I remember judging with my mother and there was actually a scrambled egg/lemon jar submitted to the class; we didn’t try it.  My/my mother’s recipe uses whole eggs but I know that some recipes use egg yolks only.  I love lemon curd but it needs a lot of butter and I have to make this as my husband is lactose intolerant and I cannot buy lactose free butter.  Mmm, I’m just thinking about lemon curd; yum.

[Cat tails 927]

Well boiled it and didn’t have scrambled eggs! Couldn’t you get plant based butter? A friend of mine is vegan and only bakes with butter from Flowerfarm. 
my recipe didn’t take loads of butter. Only 50 g on 200 g of sugar and 4 eggs.

[soapdragon 587]

On 12/23/2020 at 7:20 AM, Alis girls said:

SD you'll all be sozzled. Thanks for new recipe Columbian. Love family recipes. 

Having cut it yesterday we are all still sober - just about!!!! Nice and moist though!