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Light Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe

Light Christmas Fruit Cake

Pink Haired Pastry Chef
A lightly spiced Christmas Cake with tea soaked dried fruit topped with a thin layer of marzipan and fondant icing.
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Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs
Soaking time 1 hr
Total Time 3 hrs 30 mins
Course Baked goods, Baking, Cake
Cuisine Cake
Servings 1 12 inch cake
Calories 5129 kcal

Equipment

  • A kettle or a saucepan to heat water
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Medium sized mixing bowl
  • Sieve
  • Rubber spatula
  • Electric beater/stand mixer
  • 12 inch round cake tin
  • Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 300 grams mixed dried fruit sultanas, raisins, currants etc.
  • 2 black teabags
  • boiling water to cover dried fruit.
  • 225 grams butter room temperature
  • 225 grams caster sugar
  • 100 grams ground almonds
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 1 tsp almond essence
  • 225 grams plain flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 2 tbsp cornflour

Instructions
 

  • Start off by soaking the dried fruit in tea, overnight preferably, or at least for one hour. Simply add the teabags to the dried fruit in the medium sized mixing bowl and pour over boiling water to cover.
  • Preheat oven to 160°c(320°f) or 150°c(300°f) for fan assisted.
  • Drain the dried fruit with a sieve and allow to sit in the sieve while you prepare the cake batter to drain further.
  • In the large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy.
  • Add in ground almonds and beat again until fully combined.
  • Add in eggs, one at a time, and beat well between each addition.
  • Transfer the drained dried fruit to the medium mixing bowl without the liquid and this time add 2 tbsp of cornflour to the fruit. Mix until all the fruit is coated.
  • Add the flour, baking powder, spices and dried fruit to the cake batter and mix by hand with a rubber spatula until everything is fully combined and no flour lumps remain.
  • Prepare your cake tin by greasing the bottom and sides well. Cut out a circle of baking paper that fits for the bottom and then cut out a long strip of baking paper for the sides. This paper needs to be taller than the cake tin by about 1/2 the height of the cake tin.
  • Pour your cake batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth out.
  • Dip your hands into a little bit of water and using your wet hands, smooth over the top of the cake.
  • Bake for 90-120 minutes until fully cooked and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Keyword Cake recipe, Christmas, Christmas cake, Fruit cake, Light Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe, No alcohol Christmas Cake recipe, Tea, Tea soaked fruit cake recipe