gin to soak the fruit, plus extra to feed the cake
200g
unsalted butter, softened
200g
dark brown muscovado sugar
1Tbsp.
treacle
4
medium eggs, beaten
250g
plain flour
1tsp.
mixed spice
1/2tsp.
ground allspice
75g
walnut pieces
Directions
Step 1
Put dried fruit and dates into a large non-metallic bowl. Stir 2tbsp tea leaves into 200ml (7fl oz) hot water and pour over fruit, together with the gin. Stir to coat fruit, then cover bowl with clingfilm and leave to soak overnight at room temperature.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan) mark 1. Grease and line base and sides of a 20.5cm (8in) round deep cake tin with baking parchment, making sure it comes 2cm (¾ in) above the top. Wrap a double layer of baking parchment around outside of tin, and secure with string.
Step 3
In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and treacle with a handheld electric whisk until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs – if mixture looks like it might curdle, beat in 1tbsp flour. With a large metal spoon, mix in flour, remaining tea leaves, spices, soaked fruit with liquid, and walnuts. Scrape into prepared tin and level surface.
Step 4
Bake for 3¼ -3½ hr, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in tin for 30min, then take out of tin (keep parchment around cake) and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
To store and feed: Wrap the cooled Christmas cake (still in parchment) in a couple of layers of clingfilm, then cover with foil. Store in a cool place. After 2 weeks, unwrap, prick cake all over and pour over 1tbsp gin. Rewrap and store as before, feeding cake every few weeks for a stronger flavour. Store for up to 3 months.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
