Tallulah’s Kitchen… Rich and Boozy Fruit Cake
Hello and welcome to December’s edition of The Listing. 
This month I would like to share with you a recipe for a rich and boozy fruit cake. This is a simple recipe to make although it does take a bit of preparation beforehand. This cake improves with the weeks it is “fed.” I would usually recommend aiming for at least a couple of feeds to develop the flavours and keep the cake nice and moist.
Rich and Boozy Fruit Cake
1250g in total of your own preferences of mixed fruit.
(I create my own mix adding to a regular bag of mixed fruit with extra peel, sour cherries, dried apricots, cranberries, chopped prunes, dried pineapple, figs etc.)
Pop this in a bowl and just cover with your alcohol of choice (brandy, sherry, rum etc) leave to soak as long as you can but at least overnight. I often leave mine a week.
250g butter room temperature
250g soft brown sugar
4 eggs
Grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
1 heaped tablespoon of treacle
2tsp mixed spice
1tsp ground cinnamon
100g flaked almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g plain flour
You will also need a 20cm lined loose bottomed baking tin which has been double lined with baking parchment paper.
Extra alcohol will also be required to “feed” the cake once every fortnight until you are ready to ice the cake.
Let’s begin by creaming the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, treacle, all spices, flaked almonds, vanilla extract, grated zest and flour. Then stir in the soaked fruit and give the mix a good stir making sure all ingredients are incorporated.
Pour the mix into the prepared tin, level off the top and bake in the oven (150°) for approximately 2 hours. After this time test, the cake is cooked by placing a clean metal skewer into the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean then remove from the oven and poke holes into the cake with the skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp of the chosen alcohol. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
To store the cake remove the baking parchment, then re-wrap using clingfilm and store in an airtight tin in a cool dry place.
Feed your cake every fortnight with 1-2 tbsp of your chosen alcohol. Leave at least 7 days for the cake to dry before application of the marzipan and icing.
I use shop bought marzipan and icing as, quite frankly, time is tight enough at this time of year my lovelies, but if you want to make your own then all you the very best of luck with it.
I wish you and yours all the very best for this festive season, and indeed onwards as the time has come for Tallulah to hang up her apron and pursue other adventures.
Tallulah Le Fey
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