Delia’s Christmas Cake

Name: Delia’s Christmas Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Cuisine: European, British
Ingredients: 450g currants (see Dried fruits note at foot of method); 175g sultanas (see Dried fruits note at foot of method); 175g raisins (see Dried fruits note at foot of method); 50g chopped glacé cherries (see Dried fruits note at foot of method); 50g mixed chopped candied peel (see Dried fruits note at foot of method); 100ml brandy; 225g plain flour; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ level teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated; ½ level teaspoon ground mixed spice; 225g dark brown soft sugar; 4 large eggs; 1 dessertspoon black treacle; 225g spreadable butter; 50g chopped almonds (skin on); zest of 1 lemon and 1 orang

10 steps

Prep:30minCook:4h

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 05:16:47 GMT

Nutrition balance score

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Ingredients

35 servings

Fruit

450gcurrants

175gsultanas

175graisins

50gglacé cherries

chopped

50gcandied peel

mixed, chopped

100mlbrandy

Cake

225gplain flour

½ teaspoonsalt

0.25 level teaspoonnutmeg

freshly grated

0.5 level teaspoonground mixed spice

225gdark brown soft sugar

4eggs

large

1 dessertspoonblack treacle

225gspreadable butter

50gchopped almonds

skin on

1lemon

zest of

Instructions

Step 1

The night before you make the cake, place all the dried fruits and peel in a bowl and mix in the brandy. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave to soak for at least 12 hours. Alternatively, place in microwave on low for 8 mins.

Step 2

Grease the tin and line with greaseproof paper.

Step 3

Pre-heat the oven to fan 130C.

Step 4

Sieve the flour, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl, and in a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture’s light and fluffy (this, in fact, is the most important part of the cake, so don’t cut any corners).

Step 5

Next, beat up the eggs and – a tablespoon at a time – add them to the creamed mixture, beating thoroughly after each addition. If it looks as if it might start to curdle, you can prevent this happening by adding a little of the flour.

Step 6

When all the egg has been added, fold in the flour and spices (fold, don’t beat). Now stir in the fruit and peel that has been soaking, the nuts, the treacle and the grated lemon and orange rinds.

Step 7

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin, and spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon. (If you are not going to ice the cake, at this stage you can arrange some whole blanched almonds over the surface – but do it lightly, or else they disappear for ever into the cake!)

Step 8

Tie a band of brown paper around the outside of the tin, and cover the top of the cake with a double square of greaseproof paper (with a hole in the middle approximately the size of a 50p).

Step 9

Bake the cake on the lower shelf of the oven for 4 hours, and don’t open the door to peek at it until at least 4 hours (3 hours if making the 6 in (15 cm) round cake) have passed.

Step 10

When the cake is cold, wrap it well in double greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin. I like to ‘feed’ it at odd intervals with brandy during the storage time. To do this, strip off the lining papers, make a few extra holes in the top with a thin darning needle and pour a few teaspoons of brandy in to soak into the cake. Repeat this at intervals for a week or two.