I have a confession, I HATE PEEL and I HATE GLACE’ CHERRIES. I know it is terrible… actually I don’t mind peel, just not in a fruit cake and the ones you buy seem to have lots of peel and not lots of fruit! This is another very old recipe that came from nana’s Grandmother. It is a boiled fruit cake. You don’t have to soak the fruit because you boil it! I often don’t put the brandy in because I really like this cake all year around… sometimes I even make one in winter because it is so nice to have with a good cuppa tea!
It last up to 6 months in the fridge in an airtight container or wrapped in Aluminium foil and plastic wrap. The only reason I know this is because I made one and popped it in the outside fridge and forgot about it until dad reminded me cause he was sick of it being in his beer fridge! It had been cut and half eaten, but wrapped back up nice and tight, so I un wrapped it and ate… it was a lovely surprise. I do think it was the first time I had a piece of cake in winter and decided I should then make one every year at that time.
So I put all sorts of yummy dried fruit into my cakes like, dried cranberries, apricots, currants, raisins, pears, peaches. I sometimes also get the mix FRUIT medley which has a bit of everything in it BUT no peel or glace’ cherries! 🙂
I am just going to tell you the best way to make this cake! Fool Proof! Get up in the morning and put the mixture in to boil… leave in the pot/thermomix/bowl… covered for the rest of the day! 2 hours before bed, turn the oven on, get the tin ready. Finish off the cake, put in the oven for 2 hours then turn it off and leave the cake to cool in the oven over night! If you follow this you will get the best cake every time!
Ingredients
375g Mixed Fruit (pre packed mixed dried fruit or your own concoction)
7 Dates
7 Dessert Figs
2 Tablespoons of Fig Jam
1 Cup Brown Sugar (160g)
1 Cup Water (250g)
125g Butter
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Brandy (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda
1 Cup Plain Flour
1 Cup Self Raising
Method
1. Place mixed fruit, chopped dates, chopped figs, jam, sugar, water and butter into a large saucepan an bring to the boil.
2. Boil for one minute, remove from heat add brandy (optional) and bicarbonate of soda stirring till it becomes frothy and leave to cool completely.
3. When mixture is completely cool and you are ready to cook. Preheat oven to 120 degrees and prepare cake tin (24cm round) with 2 layers of baking paper on the bottom and sides (this is to stop the cake from drying out too much.
4. Add flours and eggs to mixture, mix well and pour into prepared tin.
5. Bake in the oven for 2 hours. Leave in the tin to cool (As said, I normally turn off the oven after 2 hours and leave overnight to cool)
6. When cake is cold, wrap in aluminium foil then plastic wrap and keep in the fridge. (it is a very moist cake and will get mouldy if left out) Then you can wrap it all nice and pretty and give it to friends.
This cake will last wrapped in an airtight container for up to 6 months, even longer if it is wrapped up well!
THERMOMIX METHOD
1. Place pitted dates and figs into the bowl, chop 3 seconds/speed 7.
2. Place butter,  mixed fruit,  jam, sugar, and water into the mixing bowl and cook 13 minutes/100 degrees/reverse/speed 1.
3. Add rum (optional) and bicarbonate, stir for 30 seconds/reverse/speed 3.
Now you can do 1 of 2 things. 1. Put the mixing bowl on the bench until mixture is completely cool or 2. Empty mixture into another bowl and leave to cool, then do the next stages by hand in that bowl, your choice!
4. When mixture is completely cool and you are ready to cook. Preheat oven to 120 degrees and prepare cake tin (24cm round) with 2 layers of baking paper on the bottom and sides (this is to stop the cake from drying out.
5. Place eggs and flour into the cooled fruit mixture and 1. mix 2 minutes/reverse/speed 3 then pour out into prepared tin OR  mix with a wooden spoon, you remember those don’t you??? 🙂 I find this is the easier option as I can’t wait that long for the mixture to cool before I want to do something else in the Thermi!
6. Bake in the oven for 2 hours or when a cake skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin to cool (As stated, I normally turn off the oven after 2 hours and leave overnight to cool)
7. When cake is cold, wrap in aluminium foil then plastic wrap and keep in the fridge, it is a very moist cake and will get mouldy if left out! Then you can wrap it all nice and pretty and give it to friends.
This cake with last wrapped in an airtight container for up to 6 months even longer if it is wrapped up well!
Here is a tip for free. This is from a cake winner at the Royal Easter Show… I asked her how she got her cake so flat and even… She said that the best way to cook any sort of fruit cake was low and slow. Lower the temperature and cook for longer! This is how my cakes turn out perfect every time and yours will too! Also leaving it to cool over night in the oven also helps… Really when you think about it, this cake only takes about 15 minutes to make all up… with 2 hours cooking, so not a lot of work! They make lovely gifts and people always appreciate something that is home baked!
I hope you are enjoying my Christmas Series… you know I love it when you get on and leave me a comment so please do… What is your favourite Christmas Cake? Do you have a secret family recipe? I’d love to hear!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Liz x
Liz xx
P.S Don't forget to subscribe to receive your 3 free e-Books.
Hi, if I pour it into few small paper baking molds, is the baking time still the same 160 deg and 2 hours ? thank you.
Hi Rosie,
I’m not sure that it would work, but you can give it a go. It will definitely not need the 2 hours, maybe check after 30 minutes and use a screwer, when it comes out clean it is cooked. then turn off the oven and leave it to cool.
I hope that helps
Liz xx
Thank you for your recipe Liz, your cake looks sensational. My husband & I love a good fruit cake & can’t wait to make yours!
Hi Elke,
You are very welcome, it is so easy… I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Liz xx
Liz, I made your cake last night. It looks & smells sensational, the only alteration I made was to include some flaked almonds. Thank you once again. Elke x
Oh Elke, That is fabulous… Yes any combinations of futility and nuts would taste fabulous! I’m so glad you liked it and thanks so much for stopping buy and letting me know, its very sweet!
Liz xx
I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong but it would be great if I could copy and paste your recipe as I hate running from computer to thermie while juggling instructions in my head and answering children’s questions.
Even just a print button with the size font large enough I don’t need a magnifying glass some print out (must be size 8 as it is tiny).
Thank you
Hi Julie,
I will be doing a few ebooks where you can down load and print off for use at home to make it easier… I hope that helps!
liz xx
Hi Liz – I made this cake last night from a post I saved ages ago. It’s amazing and foolproof as you say. Just wondering whether you’ve ever tried it with some spices (nutmeg, cinnamon)?
Hi Belinda,
Great to hear… thanks for popping by and letting me know… I have never added those spices as I have just kept to the old faithful recipe, but I’m sure a little cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and ginger wouldn’t hurt a bit…! Give it a go and let me know what you think?
Liz xx
As I have never made a boiled fruit cake I am going to do this tomorrow. I do love my own fruit mix so this will work for me. Just had a smile as the baked version uses brandy and I was disappointed as, I want to use rum, for some reason. Then I read the thermi recipe and, lo and behold, rum!! I am going to use small tins as I like to give fruit cakes away at Christmas time. Do you think 1 1/2 hours would be enough? Probably I will know the answer before you respond as I only discovered your recipe about 10 minutes ago.
Hi Elizabeth
I cooked this beautiful cake yesterday and it is amazing but it cracked slightly on top could you advise me what I may have done wrong.
Cheers
Denise
Hi Denise… honestly a slight crack on the top is perfectly normal… maybe make your lining a bit higher and turn your oven down a smidge… with all the sugar in the fruit it’s kind of a given unless you want to cook it for 3 hours really slowly… and nobody really has time for that at Christmas
Thanks for popping in and saying hi
Liz xx
Lovely moist cake. Baked it at 140c in a fan oven and it was perfect. I didn’t have enough brandy so put red wine in the cake and brushed it over with the little bit of brandy I had after cooking. Delicious! Has anyone tried it with icing or frosting? I intend to make it for Christmas and am wondering what would be the best icing to use.
Hi Reenie,
you really don’t need the alcohol on the top if you have place it in the cake… but what a great idea re the red wine. This cake could be fine to ice with fondant icing for christmas… you mike like to put a fine slather of royal icing or marzipan to help fill in the holes before icing with fondant.
I hope that helps
Liz xx
Hi,
Want to try this recipe but have a couple of questions,please?
Is the oven temperature fan forced or normal. Also can you add nuts to the recipe. Thanks
The temperature is what is stated… As every oven is different. If you are having difficulties with temperature I would recommend an oven thermometer… mine is great and always lets me know the correct temperature inside the oven 🙂 I have two ovens and they both cook differently! I hope that has helped… Sorry for the late reply… Liz xx
do you have a christmas plum pudding recipe
Hi Annette,
I have never made a Christmas plum pudding as we always have cold pudding at Christmas… Maybe I should give it a go this year??? Liz xx
Just made my fruit cake & waiting for it to cool. How simply is this recipe~can’t wait to see th finished product! Love my thermomix
I know, right! so easy…. who would have thought that my nana’s cake could be made so easily in the Thermi 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
Liz xx
Hello, I don’t have fig jam. what can I use to replace it? Or do I simply omit it?
Hi Julia, any jam will work, but I think fig taste the best 🙂
Liz xx
Great looking cake, and I like how the recipe is relatively simple!
Thanks Melanie! Liz x
Hi Liz. This cake looks just like what hubby is after. It may be a silly question, but what are dessert figs please? Cheers, Erna 🙂
They are the soft figs you get in the packets at the supermarkets not the hard dried ones… But if that is all you can get soak them for a bit!! 🙂 not a silly question! Liz xxx
Hi Liz, just made this wonderful cake and it was so simple. My cake didn’t rise at all, and in your photos yours looks higher. Followed all instructions so just wonder if you have any clues or is it a low rise cake?
The cake is nice and moist and very delicious.
Vicki
Yes Vicky… it doesn’t tend to rise very much, maybe if you would like a higher cake, cook it in a small tin 🙂 it will still cook well and you will get a higher cake as well 🙂
So glad to see that you are bracing out with your Thermomix! YAY!
Liz xx
This is such a great idea if you haven’t soaked your fruit! And I don’t mind peel but I love glace cherries 😛
Thanks Lorraine, it has always been my go to cake and so moist! If you make this cake you can put what ever like in it 🙂 Thanks for stopping and saying hi! Liz x
Visiting from Hotly Spiced’s facebook.
I don’t mind peel or glace cherries at all. In fact, I love fruitcake. And I don’t mean some home made, gourmet or artisanal fruitcake. I mean, the mass produced ones you buy at your local grocery store chain. I have yet to buy the ones with marzipan on top but I will try it the next time I see the cakes on the shelves.
(I’m Canadian of Romanian background so obviously a heathen when it comes to a quality fruitcake.) 🙂
And, I love the look of your fruit cake. In fact, I may make one in the new year just because. Is there something I could substitute for the fig jam though, cause I’m not a big jam eater (I have raspberry and apricot in the fridge and cherry in the cupboard) so I’m not going to be shopping for a jar anytime soon.
Hello 🙂 Thank you for dropping by my little blog 🙂 You could easily put in mix peel and place cherries if you like, I just don’t so I can eat the cake 🙂 The fig jam does give it a nice flavour, so I suggest putting a few extra figs in and using Apricot Jam as I have used that when I ran out of Fig 🙂 Thanks again for stoping by… Have a lovely Christmas and I look forward to hearing from you in the new year about the cake 🙂 Liz xx
Oh yes, I totes agree. Not at all a fan of glace cherries, vile little things they are. They get me every time because they look so good.
I am not really into Christmas Cake, 10 years working in the kitchen at Christmas time kinda killed it for me, and I just dont know about a secret family recipe, I shall ask Mom tonight.
Yes YUKKK… they look all shiny and delicious and they taste like crap…! I’m not a fan of Christmas Cake either, but I like this one… probably shouldn’t make it because I just tend to eat it! 🙂 Not long now till your holiday!!! have fun! Liz x
This is such a perfect looking cake, Liz. And I love how it’s boiled so you don’t have to soak the fruit. I like how you wrapped it in cellophane although the first image takes me back to my Christmases long ago xx
Thanks Charlie… it was the first one I made this year and I think it turned out the best one I have ever made… leaving in the oven to cool really does make a difference! Thanks for stopping by! Liz x
i hate peel in cakes too. This looks amazing… How many eggs does it need? I see three in the thermie pic but they’re not on the ingredient list?
Loving the Christmas series! x
Oops 3 I’ll put it in now 🙂 thanks for letting me know!!!! Liz xx