Christmas Light Fruit Cake

JQ, a closed colleague of mine, likes fruit cake, he has asked me a few times whether I know how to bake a nice fruit cake. Whenever I brought my bakes to office, he will ask me when am I going to bake fruit cake. However he is the one and only one in my office likes fruit cake. However, I have in mind to bake one for just for him but as I have a long baking list, this has been pending for quite a while.


Until 1 months plus ago, I told him officially that I am going to bake him a fruit cake to return his flavour - he helped me brought back some baking books from Taiwan :P. However this has been delayed again due to our schedule, when I am available to bake for him, he was not in town. When he was in town, it was my turn to fly. This year is going to be over, I do not wanna drag it any longer so even I have tight schedule recently, I still squeeze out time to bake this fruit cake for him.


The cake looks nicer with dusting of snow sugar right?

I am submitting this entry to the Christmas Giveaway hosted by Swee San of The Sweet Spot.

I am also sending this to Aspiring Bakers #2 Christmas (Dec 2010) hosted by Jane of Passionate About Baking.

I used the recipe from Aunty Yochana that I had baked before and recieved good comments. I baked a 6" cake for him and balance in cupcakes for dear husband as fruit cake is also his favourite.

Ingredients: (for 6" round cake pan and 6 cupcakes)
400 gm currants/sultanas/Raisins/glaced cherries/mixed peel
3 Tbsp rum
230 gm Butter
190 gm sugar
finely grated rind of 1 orange
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
4 eggs
50 gm chopped almonds
50 gm ground almonds
230 gm plain flour

Method:
1. Soak currants, sultanas, raisins, cherries and mixed peel with rum. (I soaked for months)
2. Prepare an 8" round cake tin and lined the side and base with double layer of greaseproof paper.
3. Cream butter and sugar till creamy. Add in orange zest and lemon zest and continue to beat till light and fluffy.
4. Add in eggs one at a time till thoroughly mixed before adding in the next egg.
5. Mix 2 Tbsp of flour into the soaked fruits.
6. Fold in soaked fruits. Fold in sifted flour to make a soft dropping consistency.
7. Pour batter into prepared cake tin and bake at 160C for about 1.5 hour or until centre is firm to touch until skewer comes out clean. For cupcakes, I baked for about 25 mins.
8. Let the cake cool in the tin for 20 mins. then remove it onto a wire rack and leave it to cool completely.
9. Leave the greaseproof paper intact and remove it only when you want to serve so as to keep the cake moist while stored.
10. Drizzle some rum onto cake once a while to keep cake moist.

Wishing all my friends and readers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!