Christmas Cake

[Lowryn]

DH always raves about his Mum's Xmas cake. Unfortunately she has taken the recipe to the grave. I wanted to try my hand at making one this year...Does anyone have an absolutely fantastic, moist (lovely word) fruit cake recipe that they wouldn't mind sharing with me?

Thanks!

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Typing one out for you (may take some time, come back later!)

Figures for 7, 8, or 9 inch round cake tin:

7, 9, 11oz plain flour
5, 6, 7oz marg/butter
5, 6, 7oz soft brown sugar
2, 3, 4oz flaked almonds
12-16oz, 1-1.5lb, 1.5-2lb dried fruit
1-3 tbsp rum/brandy/sherry
2, 3, 4 eggs
1, 1, 2 tbsp black treacle
2, 3, 4oz glace cherries
1 tsp mixed spice

Mix fat and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat eggs in a bowl and add gradually.
Halve cherries and roll in some of the flour.
Add cherries, treacle, alcohol and dried fruit.
Sieve in mixed spice and flour. Blend with a metal spoon.
Pour into a lined cake tin and cook for about 3 hours at 270 F (135 C)

This was a recipe I was taught at school and it worked really well. Hope it helps.

Thanks. Why do I think that I have to cook it months in advance? Is that if you want it to be alcoholic? Something about fermenting or gradually adding brandy?

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What can I add instead of the booze as my hubby doesn't drink so I don't add anything to the recipe either? Would apple juice be ok during the cooking process? I had heard maybe cold tea?

I rekon cold tea would work. My mum makes a fruit loaf and soaks the fruit in cold tea over night. It's the best a big thick slice spread with butter, yum.

I soak my fruit in brandy for 4 days.....
The other thing I do which is actually very nice and makes it moist is, after the soaking, take about 1/3 of the fruit out and finely mince it in a food processor - add it to the rest of the mixture after you've creamed the butter and sugar.
Also, a rich fruit cake improves with age anyway - you don't have to keep adding the brandy and orange juice is a good substitute if you don't want to use alcohol.
Good luck - you've reminded me that I have to get on with mine.

i know this is a dumb question, but what on earth is treacle?

Treacle is like Golden Syrup but black.

It is quite essential for a really rich moist cake and syrup doesn't do same job (DKwhy)

Most supermarkets have it (with the syrup) in a tin - brand I use is lyles

I'll have to see if I can find it in a specialty store. I'm in the US, and most stores have Lyle's golden syrup but I've never seen treacle.

Thanks

My american/english cooking encyclopedia says..
'resembles molasses but sweeter' can be obtained from'supermarkets, health food shops & Delis' and treacle and molasses can be interchanged (allowing for the extra sweetness of treacle)
Good luck

Speaking as an American who has baked in Britain for the last 10 years, treacle is like ordinary molasses that you can get in the US, but is a bit sweeter than the unrefined blackstrap molasses (but not vastly sweeter). As KatieMac says, basically interchangeable.
Enjoy that cake!