Rich Fruit Cake

Day 1:

Soak The Fruit

• In a large bowl, mix the currants, sultanas, thompson raisins, golden raisins, glacé cherries, and orange zest.
  350 g currants, 225 g sultanas, 225 g thompson raisins, 225 g golden raisins, 25 g red glacé cherries, 25 g green glacé cherries, 1 large naval orange
• Pour the brandy and orange juice over the fruit mixture and mix well.
  60 ml brandy, 1 large naval orange
• Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Day 2:

Prepare The Cake Tin

• Grease and line the cake tin(s) with parchment paper.
• Line the outside of the tin with a folded sheet of brown paper, tied with string. This will help prevent the edges of the cake from baking too dry and possibly burning.

Make The Cake

• Gather all ingredients and preheat the oven to 160 °C.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and mixed spice.
  285 g self-raising flour, 2 tsps Mixed Spice, ⅛ tsp salt
• Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until you have a breadcrumb consistency.
  225 g unsalted butter
• Add the sugar and ground almonds. Mix well with a wooden spoon, until well combined. Break up any remaining clumps of sugar and butter.
  75 g ground almonds, 225 g dark brown sugar
• Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fixed with the paddle attachment.
• Add the soaked fruit, eggs, and treacle and gently mix until everything is well combined.
  30 ml black treacle, 6 large eggs
• Divide the batter evenly into the prepared tin(s) and use the back of a spoon to make sure the top is level and smooth.
• Bake in the oven for 1 hour, then reduce the temperature to 140 °C, and bake for a further 40 minutes, or until the cake is fully baked. The internal temperature of the cake should be about 95 °C.
• Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool completely.
• When cool, remove cake from the tin, leaving the inner lining on the cake
• Poke a clean knitting needle into the top of the cake a few times, and then spoon 15 ml of brandy over the top of the cake.
  15 ml brandy
• Double wrap the cake in parchment paper, and then wrap in foil, and store in an airtight container until ready to use.