Easy Christmas Loaf Cakes
Easy Christmas Loaf Cake is based on my Everyday Fruit Cake. Makes 2 1lb cakes.
Servings: 16 slices
Ingredients
Cake
- 400 g mixed dried fruit (see note)
- 4 tablespoons brandy or orange juice
- 125 g butter at room temperature (see note)
- 3 large eggs
- 60 ml milk, (4 tablespoons)
- 1 rounded tablespoon jam (any flavour)
- 125 g soft brown sugar (dark or light - see note)
- 250 g self-raising flour (see note)
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice (10ml)
Decoration
- apricot jam or marmalade
- 400 g marzipan (bought or homemade)
- 500 g pack of fondant icing OR
- 500 g royal icing
Equipment
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/ 150°C fan/ gas mark 3/ 325°F
- Either grease the tin with butter or just pop the liner in
- 'Revive' the dried fruit:Put the fruit in a bowl with the brandy or fruit juice. Heat in the microwave on MEDIUM for 3 minutes in total, stirring once or twice. Heat on HIGH for 30 seconds. Leave to stand for 30 minutes if possible.Otherwise, cover the fruit and leave for a couple of hours, preferably overnight4 tablespoons brandy or orange juice, 400 g mixed dried fruit
For the Christmas Loaf Cakes:
- Put all the ingredients except the fruit into a large bowl (or your mixer/food processor).125 g butter at room temperature, 3 large eggs, 60 ml milk,, 1 rounded tablespoon jam (any flavour), 125 g soft brown sugar, 250 g self-raising flour, 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- Beat together well, but don't overdo it
- Scrape the mixture down and mix again
- Add the dried fruit and stir in by hand. You don't want to break up the fruit400 g mixed dried fruit
- Carefully put the mixture in the tin/liner and use a knife to make a slight depression in the top of the mixture. This means you will have less of a domed top
- Cook for 50 minutes, and test with a toothpick. When it comes out clean the cake is done. If not, return to the oven for 10 minutes and repeat. You may need up to 1 hour 10 mins
- Take the cake out of the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool
- When completely cool, decorate or store in the fridge or freezer. (You can leave the liner on until the cake is ready to be decorated)
To decorate the cakes:
- Remove the liner.Brush the top of the cake with warmed apricot jam or marmalade, removing any pieces of fruitapricot jam or marmalade
- Roll the marzipan into a sausage and flatten with your hand. Make it a little longer than the cake.Flatten and place between two sheets of clingfilm with the spacers either sideRoll out the marzipan keeping the rolling pin on the spacers you get an even depth400 g marzipan
- Invert the cake onto the marzipan and cut to fit. Turn the cake right side up and peel off the clingfilm for a smooth surface.
- Roll out the fondant icing to roughly the right size. Brush the top of the marzipanned cake with more jam, or waterInvert the cake onto the icing and cut to size500 g pack of fondant icing
- Cut out small stars from leftover marzipan and place on the cake.Tie a bow around the cake.
Notes
Everyday Cooks Tips:
Ingredients:- Dried fruit: Use any mixture that you like. Either a ready mix, or whatever you have or like. I put cherries in mine and I don't wash them for this recipe. Just cut in half. If you like nuts add 50g of flaked almonds and 350g fruit
- Butter: If it's cold, heat in the microwave for 30 sec on LOW. Repeat if necessary. Don't melt it
- Brown sugar: Dark or light is fine. I prefer light in this recipe as dark brown sugar has a stronger flavour
- Flour: If you don't have self-raising flour, use plain flour and add 2 teaspoons of baking powder.