Rich Christmas fruitcake

Festive season is here around the corner. Everybody is anxiously rushing to shop for Christmas gifts, decorating Christmas tree and house to welcome their guests, some baking and preparing for goodies and cakes. Every year I would bake cookies and cakes for friends and family. This year, I can only bake cakes as my schedule is tight.
This is my all-time favorite signature fruitcake, which I like it moist and less sweeter than those available in bakery or confectionery shops.

Fruitcake is a cake made with chopped candied fruit or dried fruits, nuts and spices and optionally soaked in spirits like whisky or rum. To add a little more flavor to the fruitcake, I'm adding good old whisky in this recipe. ( shout out to someone who bought me a good Ballantines Scotch Whisky). This fruitcake is rich in flavor and dense in texture. It is usually sweeter than any type of cakes as Christmas is suppose to be a happy and sweet festive occasion. The rich nature taste of fruitcake is all you need to taste to feel like you're in Christmas!! So much flavors, sweetness and happiness in a thin slice!! Let's spice up the special festival event by baking a forest fruitcake!!!  

Ingredients:

2 cups of raisins n cranberries 

1 cup of dried apricots 

1 cup of red n green cherries

1 cup of pecans, walnuts, Brazil nuts ( lightly crushed)

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup water

1/2 lemon ( squeezed lemon juice)

1 cup of  butter, softened

1 cup of brown sugar ( 4/5 cup if prefer less sweet)

4 eggs

2 cups of all purpose flour

11/2 tsp of ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground nutmegs 

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda 

Some whisky for feeding 

Ps: set aside some cherries n pecan nuts for decor when cooked

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine fruits, nuts, honey, water and lemon juice
2. Set aside 
3. In another large bowl, cream or whisk the butter n brown sugar until fluffy
4. Add in the eggs then the fruit mixture.
5. Sifted in the flour Combine all the rest of dry ingredients including nutmegs n cinnamon n salt...
6. Gently blend together 
7. Pour into two greased n waxed paper pans 
8. Steam the cake for 20mins
9. Transfer to oven n bake it at 200c for 10mins
10. Use a skewer stick 
11. Test if dry by piercing in the middle of the cake; If the stick comes out dry then it is cooked. Otherwise pop it back in oven for another 5mins.
12. Chill it in a ziplock bag 

If you like to add whisky, brush whisky on top of the cake after the cake is cooled 

Brush a generous amount on top surface for the next few days for the whisky to penetrate in followed by chilling in fridge.

Decorating n glazing 

You need:

• 1/2 cup apricot preserves 
• 1/2 cup water
• Some pecan nuts, walnuts or almond nuts
• Some cranberries or raisins 
• Red or green cherries 
• A brush

Direction:

1. Heat apricot preserves with water till dissolved n thicken 
2. Set aside 
3. Brush a thin layer of the heated mixture on top of the cake 
4. Decorate the cake w nuts n berries ( try to plan ahead the design)
5. Coat another thick layer of mixture to glaze the cake
6. Chill it in the fridge without cover for an hour 
7. Then transfer the cake in a ziplock bag n chill in the fridge 

Alternatively, you may just sprinkle some icing sugar if the shape of the cake is presentable and nice.