Ingredients

The following ingredients have 10 Servings
  • 250 g unsalted butter (8.8 oz/ 1 cup, soft)
  • 200 g muscovado sugar (7 oz/ 1 cup, Note 2)
  • 4 eggs
  • 250 g all-purpose flour (8.8 oz/ 2 cups + 1 tablespoon )
  • 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground all-spice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
  • 100 g dried cranberries (3.5 oz/ ½ cup )
  • 150 g dried currants (5.5 oz/ ¾ cup )
  • 250 g sultanas or raisins (8.8 oz/ 1 ¼ cups )
  • 100 g chopped glacé cherries (3.5 oz/ ½ cup, Note 3)
  • icing sugar (optional)

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 140 degrees Celsius/ 285 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a deep 20 cm/ 8 inch round cake tin or springform and line the bottom with baking paper.
  • Batter: Place the soft butter, muscovado sugar, eggs, flour, all-spice, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Mix well.
  • Add cranberries, currants, sultanas or raisins, and glace cherries.
  • Bake: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 2 to 2 ¼ hours or until the cake is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  • Check the cake after one hour or so and loosely cover the top with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.
  • Let the cake cool in the baking dish, then turn it out.
  • Serve: You can serve the Christmas fruit cake immediately, but it is even better if served the next day. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving, if desired.
  • If you make it one day in advance, let it cool completely, wrap it in aluminum foil and leave it at room temperature until the next day.