MATURE

As mentioned in my previous post on wine fruits, the fruits had been soaked in brandy since November for over a month in preparation for making fruit cakes.  The cakes will be baked and ripened in November before they showcase on Christmas day.

Ingredients : 250 gm unsalted butter, 180 gm fine sugar, 230 gm plain flour and 4 large eggs

The dried fruits smell wonderful from brandy fragrance after thorough soaking.

Squeeze out as much liquor from the fruits as possible and pat dry, too wet fruits will cause sinking when bake.

Beat cold butter and half amount of sugar first.  Slowly add in other half while beating.  Add in eggs, one at a time, and continue beating till batter becomes creamy.  Batter is ready when fluffy.

Coat fruits with flour.  Add flour to batter and fold in with a metal spoon.  Fold in mixed fruits.

Consistency of batter should be thick and creamy.  Pour cake mixture into tin and bake.  As my oven is very hot I baked the cakes at the start of 150C and cover with foil for the first 1 hour to prevent from browning.  Remove the foil and continue to bake at 100C till cooked or when cake skewer comes out clean.

Cool cakes and drizzle with leftover brandy for soaking fruits over the cakes.

Wrap up with glad wrap.  Feed the cakes with brandy routinely for at least 3 days.  When cakes produce strong liquor fragrance wrap with aluminum foil and leave to mature.  This enhances the goodness and increase the lifespan of the fruitcakes.