As-you-like-it Christmas cake

Name: As-you-like-it Christmas cake
Prep time: 3 h 20 min
Cook time: 3 h 20 min
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 1 kg mixed dried fruit (any blend of raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed peel, dried cranberries, glacé cherries, chopped dried apricots, dates, dried figs or dried pineapple); 150 milliliters sherry, brandy, rum or brewed tea, plus extra for feeding; 2 zest and juice oranges, 2 lemons or 4 clementines; 250 grams pack unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin; 250 grams light, soft brown sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 4 eggs; 200 grams plain flour; 2 teaspoons mixed spice; 100 grams whole or flaked almonds, chopped hazelnuts, walnuts or brazil nuts (optional)

The recipe As-you-like-it Christmas cake can be made in approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes. This recipe makes 10 servings with 694 calories, 9g of protein, and 30g of fat each. This recipe covers 17% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. It is a good option if you're following a lacto ovo vegetarian diet. It is perfect for Christmas. It works well as a rather pricey dessert. A mixture of vanillan extract, brown sugar, brazil nuts, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so scrumptious.

Instructions

Put your chosen dried fruit mixture into a large bowl with your choice of alcohol or tea, citrus zest and juice.

Ingredients you will need

Dried Fruit

Alcohol

Juice

Tea

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Mix well, cover and leave overnight.

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas

Equipment you will use

Oven

Butter and double-line a deep cake tin 20cm round or 18cm square with enough baking parchment to come about 2.5cm above the top of the tin. Wrap the outside of the tin with a few sheets of newspaper, securing with staples or string.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Wrap

Equipment you will use

Cake Form

Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy, then beat in the eggs one by one. Tip in the flour, mixed spice, soaked dried fruit and any liquid from the bowl, plus your chosen nuts, if using. Stir everything together, then scrape into the cake tin. Using the back of your spoon, make a slight dent in the centre of the mixture, then bake for 1 hrs.

Ingredients you will need

Dried Fruit

Mixed Spice

Vanilla

Butter

All Purpose Flour

Sugar

Egg

Nuts

Equipment you will use

Oven

Cake Form

Bowl

Reduce oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1, loosely cover the top of the cake with a double sheet of foil or baking parchment, and bake for another 45 mins-1 hr or until a skewer poked right to the bottom comes out clean. Cool in the tin, then lift out and wrap in greaseproof paper or baking parchment. Keep in a cake tin with a tight-fitting lid, or wrapped in a large sheet of foil, in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Open the cake every week or two to feed by poking with a skewer in several places and dribbling over a little more of your chosen alcohol or tea.

Ingredients you will need

Alcohol

Wrap

Tea

Equipment you will use

Oven

Cake Form

Skewers

Aluminum Foil

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings:

1kg

mixed dried fruit (any blend of raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed peel, dried cranberries, glacé cherries, chopped dried apricots, dates, dried figs or dried pineapple)150milliliters

sherry, brandy, rum or brewed tea, plus extra for feeding 2

zest and juice oranges, 2 lemons or 4 clementines 250grams

pack unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin 250grams

light, soft brown sugar 2teaspoons

vanilla extract 4

eggs 200grams

plain flour 2teaspoons

mixed spice 100grams

whole or flaked almonds, chopped hazelnuts, walnuts or brazil nuts (optional)

Recommended wine: Cream Sherry, Moscato Dasti, Port

Cream Sherry, Moscato d'Asti, and Port are my top picks for Christmas Cake. A common wine pairing rule is to make sure your wine is sweeter than your food. Delicate desserts go well with Moscato d'Asti, nutty desserts with cream sherry, and caramel or chocolate desserts pair well with port. The NV Johnson Estate Cream Sherry with a 5 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 19 dollars per bottle.