Sherry & Almond Christmas Cake
Sherry & Almond Christmas Cake
Ingrediënten
- 1 kg mixed dried fruit without cherries
- Zest and juice of 2 large oranges
- 150 ml PX Pedro Ximenez sherry, plus extra for feeding
- 250 g butter softened, plus extra for greasing the tin
- 250 g light muscovado sugar
- Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod
- 140 g plain flour
- 100 g ground almonds
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 140 g whole almonds
Instructies
Step 1
- Mix the dried fruit, orange zest, orange juice, and sherry.
- Leave it overnight to soak.
Step 2
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan 140°C/gas 3).
- Butter and double-line a deep, 20cm round cake tin.
- Wrap the outside with brown paper or newspaper and secure with string to prevent overcooking on the sides.
- Beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla seeds until pale and creamy.
- Mix the flour, ground almonds, and mixed spice together.
- Add this mixture to the butter mix along with the beaten eggs.
- Beat until combined and smooth.
- Stir in the whole almonds, soaked fruit, and any leftover juices.
- Turn the batter into the tin, then smooth the top and make a dip in the middle.
- Bake for 1½ hours.
Step 3
- Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C (fan 130°C/gas 2), then bake for an additional 1½ hours until the top is dark, and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few damp crumbs clinging to it.
- Once cool enough to handle, turn the cake onto a cooling rack and peel away the lining paper.
- Let it cool completely.
Step 4
- Keep the cake well wrapped and feed it once a fortnight with 1-2 tbsp sherry.
- Poke holes into the cake with a skewer and slowly spoon over the sherry.
- If you don’t have time for feeding, the cake is delicious freshly made and can be covered and decorated as soon as it has completely cooled down.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
This recipe requires overnight soaking, so plan accordingly. Enjoy your Sherry & Almond Christmas Cake!
