Christmas Fruitcake
圣诞水果蛋糕


December is my favourite month of the year, not only because of Christmas, but also because my birthday falls in this month. One celebration followed by another, and New Year's Day is just around the corner!  Listening to Celine Dion's "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" again and again , can't help asking myself what I have done in 2012?

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
A new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young
...


It's time to reflect the past, and also time to look forward. To me, Christmas fruitcake is a good way of getting into the spirit of Christmas. How about you?


Almost one month ago, I have already soaked dried mixed fruits in rum, in preparing for this classic, irresistible cake. After celebrated my birthday, on this rainy Sunday afternoon, I spent one and half hour baked this cake. It's wonderful on a wet day to have that lovely smell in the house ... Hope you can smell it too!




CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

INGREDIENTS

- 400g of dried mixed fruits (currants, sultanas, pineapple, apricots, etc)
- 1/2 cup of dark rum
- 250g butter (soften)
- 3/4 cup of dark brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 80g chopped nuts (I use walnut, almond)
- 50ml fresh milk
- Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange (optional)

DIRECTIONS
  1. Soak the dry fruits with rum for a week or more , in the refrigerator.
  2. Prepare a baking tin and lined with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy.
  4. Add in eggs one at a time till well mixed before adding another egg.
  5. Mix in milk, lemon and orange zest.
  6. Add in soaked dry fruits,  and then fold in sifted flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and nutmeg.
  7. Pour batter into prepared cake tin.
  8. Bake in a pre-heated 160deg C oven for 1 hr or until centre is firm to touch.
  9. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons dark rum over cake while still hot.
  10. Wrap cake pan in a clean tea towel and allow to cool completely. Let the cake cool in the tin before removing the cake.
Note : You can keep this cake up to 3 months in the fridge. Wrap it up properly in aluminium foil and drizzle it with rum at least once a week.



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