Cherry & Almond Christmas Cake
Submitted by myblueberry
Cherry and almond Christmas cake: maraschino cherries, apricots, ginger, and almonds macerated in amaretto and brandy, baked into a lighter apple-puree batter, then soaked in more amaretto. A boozy, fruit-packed festive cake that keeps for a month.
YIELD
36 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
120 minREADY
145 minA Christmas fruitcake for people who think they don’t like fruitcake. This one is lighter and brighter than the dense, leaden bricks of old, studded with cherries, apricots, glace ginger, and almonds, all perfumed with amaretto and brandy.
It starts the day before. The fruit and nuts macerate overnight in the liqueur and brandy, plumping up and soaking in flavor so the finished cake tastes deep and boozy rather than dry.
The batter itself is the clever part. Apple puree stands in for most of the butter, with whipped egg whites for lift, giving you a moist, far lighter crumb than a traditional fruitcake.
After a long, gentle bake, the hot cake gets doused in more amaretto and wrapped to cool, which seals in moisture. Decorated with cherries and almonds, it’ll keep beautifully for up to a month.
Chef Tips
- Don’t skip the overnight macerate. It’s what plumps the dried fruit and carries the amaretto and brandy deep into the cake.
- Line the pan with two layers of baking paper. The long, slow bake can scorch the edges of a fruitcake with only a single layer.
- Pour the extra amaretto over the cake while it’s still hot so it soaks right in, then wrap it warm to trap the moisture.
- Test with a skewer at the center; this dense batter needs the full bake, and the top decoration shouldn’t fool you into pulling it early.
Variations
- Swap the amaretto for orange liqueur or dark rum, and brush extra over the cake weekly to feed it for a richer, longer-keeping cake.
- Use dried cranberries or chopped dates in place of some of the cherries and apricots.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the sultanas, cherries, peel, apricot, almonds, ginger, liqueur and brandy in a glass or ceramic bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 8 hours or overnight to macerate.
Preheat oven to 150°C.
Brush a deep, square 18cm (base measurement) cake pan with melted butter to lightly grease.
Line the base and sides with 2 layers of non-stick baking paper.
Place apple, sugar, eggs, egg whites and orange rind in a bowl.
Use a whisk to mix until combined.
Add fruit mixture and use a wooden spoon to mix well.
Sift over combined flours and stir until combined.
Spoon cake mixture into prepared pan.
Tap the pan on the benchtop to settle mixture and smooth the surface.
Arrange the extra cherries and almonds over the surface in a flower pattern.
Bake in oven for 2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove cake from oven.
Pour the extra liqueur over the cake.
Wrap the pan in 2 clean tea towels and set aside to cool completely.
Turn the cake out onto a wire rack.
Cut into slices to serve.
Notes & tips
This cake will keep for up to 1 month.
Wrap in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container.
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