Light Fruit Cake
What I absolutely love about this fruit cake is that it doesn’t have the heaviness of a traditional dark fruit cake. You can make it a day ahead, or choose to “feed” it with brandy weeks in advance if you prefer.
My variation uses fruit tea and orange juice, which also makes it suitable for Halal guests. By cooking the fruit in juice or tea beforehand, there is no need to feed the cake with brandy over several weeks. I have also omitted the bitter lemon rind and glazed zest that are usually added, but you can adjust the fruit combination to suit your own taste.
As a South African, I grew up with Christmas cake and fruit cake served at weddings, typically covered in marzipan and fondant. Recently, however, I’ve found myself baking this light fruit cake just a day or two in advance and enjoying it with melted apricot jam instead.
With the leftover batter, I decided to make small Bundt cakes, perfect as individual portions, perhaps served with custard.
Give this recipe a try this Christmas: light, fruit-filled, and a little different.
Light Fruit Cake
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Baking Time: 1 hour
Yield: 1 × 18 cm round cake
Ingredients
Zest of 1 lemon
500 g mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas or currants, candied peel)
50 ml brandy or dark rum
225 g butter, plus extra for greasing
225 g light brown soft sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs
225 g plain cake flour
2 tsp ground mixed spice
2.5 ml salt
To decorate (optional)
2 tbsp apricot jam
500 g marzipan
500 g fondant
Ribbon or decorations of choice
Method
Finely grate the zest from the lemon. Place the dried fruit in a saucepan with the lemon zest and 50 ml of alcohol (or strong black tea, apple juice or orange juice). Cover, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. The fruit will plump up and absorb the liquid.
Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Double-line a deep 18 cm round cake tin. Lightly grease the tin, then grease the parchment paper with butter to protect the cake during the long baking time.
Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla essence, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
Add a spoonful of flour between each egg addition, mixing gently and avoiding overmixing.
Sift the remaining flour, mixed spice and salt into a separate bowl. Fold into the batter using a spatula or large metal spoon. Fold in the soaked fruit. The batter will be quite stiff.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
Bake at 160 °C for 1 hour, or until the cake is dark golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
While the cake is still warm, prick holes all over with a skewer or toothpick and spoon over a little extra alcohol or juice, if desired.
Once completely cooled, wrap the cake tightly. It can be stored for several weeks or even a couple of months. If storing, spoon a small amount of alcohol over the cake once a week until ready to decorate or serve.
