This clever Last Minute Christmas Cake is a wonderfully easy festive cake and a great option if you're not a fan of more traditional Christmas Fruit Cake.
Filled with flavour from top to bottom, the fun of this cake has a deliciously fruity layer only along the bottom so non-fruit lovers can just skip it altogether because the spice mix and whisky create instant depth to the cake batter, it is easy to make last minute. I should mention though, that the flavour does seem to deepen over several days and will easily last a week provided it is kept in a cool environment and in an airtight container. Rather than standard sultanas and currants, I added a delightful mixed peel, naked ginger and dried cranberries to develop a next-level warm holiday flavour.
This wonderful cake works beautifully with my Spiced Christmas Custard too. Rather than just regular sultanas and currants, I've added mixed peel, naked ginger and dried cranberries which creates a beautiful full flavour.
YOU WILL NEED
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup mixed dried fruit or sultanas
1 cup boiling water
1/8 cup whisky
1 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond essence
1 + 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2-3 tablespoons mixed peel finely chopped
1/4 cup naked ginger finely chopped
METHOD
Grease and line with baking paper a 23cm/9" round cake pan.
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F.
In a medium-sized saucepan, over medium-high heat, add the dried cranberries, mixed dried fruit OR sultanas, whisky and boiling water and cook for several minutes until plumped. Turn off and allow to cool (some water will still be in the pan, that is fine.)
In a large mixing bowl add the eggs, butter and sugar and using an electric beater, beat until well-combined and pale.
Add the vanilla extract and almond essence to the egg mixture and quickly combine with your electric beater.
Next add the self-raising flour, mixed peel and naked ginger and using your electric beater or silicon spatula mix well again to combine.
Add the cooled dried fruit/water mixture and mix well.
Pour into your lined cake tin and bake for 40-55 minutes or until golden-brown and the top springs back when you press it or a skewer inserted come out clean.
Allow to cool and eat as is, or with my Spiced Christmas Custard yum!
COMFORTABLY SERVES 12
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