Christmas Cake

Recipe View Gather all ingredients.

Recipe View In a medium bowl, combine candied cherries, citrus peel, and almonds. Add raisins, currants, and dates. Pour in brandy and stir to combine. Cover and let sit for a minimum of 2 hours, or ideally overnight. (2 hours - overnight)

Recipe View Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease a deep 8-inch fruitcake pan, line it with parchment paper, and grease the parchment paper as well. (15 minutes)

Recipe View Dredge the brandy-soaked fruit with 1/2 cup of the flour, ensuring each piece is lightly coated.

Recipe View In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 cups of flour, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt to ensure an even distribution of spices.

Recipe View In another bowl, stir together the molasses and apple juice until well combined.

Recipe View In a large bowl, cream the softened butter until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in the brown sugar and eggs, mixing until the mixture is smooth and well-combined. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 4 batches, alternating with the molasses mixture. Begin and end with the flour mixture, mixing until just combined after each addition. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Gently fold in the floured fruit until evenly distributed throughout the batter. Turn the batter into the prepared fruitcake pan, spreading it evenly. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Begin checking for doneness at 3 hours, but it may take up to 3 1/2 hours. (3 - 3.5 hours)

Recipe View Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes before carefully removing it from the pan and lifting off the parchment paper. Cool cake completely on a wire rack. Wrap loosely in waxed paper and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months, or in the refrigerator for longer storage. (30 minutes)