Loreto Christmas Cake

It is December already, and Christmas is almost here.  I have had a busier than usual year, so I am not as organised as I can be for Christmas preparations.  I have changed jobs, signed a contract to buy an apartment after months of weekends dedicated to the search, participated in a tap dancing concert at The Palais (a big theatre in Melbourne) with everything that leads up to that (classes, dress rehearsals, making costumes etc), danced at Luna Park for Melbourne Tap Week before that, participated on a professional committee, given a professional seminar presentation, attended a number of concerts (most recently Culture Club last Thursday night, and Paul McCartney is coming up next week), and baked and blogged my heart out.

Here is a happy snap from backstage at the tap concert - fittingly our class were dressed as layer cakes for one number:

This year, I made a conscious decision not to make a Christmas cake or a Christmas pudding.  I have decided just to make cookies and sweets for a change, although today, I did make some peach jam using Maggie Beer's recipe again, this time with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a couple of shots of whiskey added.

However, a few years back, I made a Christmas cake from Loreto Cooks, given to me by my friends Steve and Craig.  Steve was recently made mayor of Stonnington, his local council area - congratulations Steve! 

I took a photo of the Loreto Christmas Cake, but never blogged about it, so I figure that given that I did not make a cake this year, it is a good time to share this cake from Christmas past.  You still have time to make a Christmas cake if you want to!

To make the Loreto Christmas Cake (recipe by Linda George at p180 of Loreto Cooks), you will need:

500g raisins
125g mixed peel
125g glace cherries
125g blanched almonds
500g sultanas
125g currants
125g dates
1 orange, juice and rind
4 tablespoons brandy
315g plain flour
250g butter
250g brown sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons mixed spice
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

Cut the fruit into small pieces, and place into a large bowl with the nuts.  Add the orange juice, rind and brandy to the bowl and soak for a few days, stirring daily (overnight is probably enough!).

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.  Line a 23cm square cake tin with one layer of baking paper and three layers of brown paper.

Mix half the flour with the fruit and nut mixture.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.  Beat in the eggs one by one, beating well between each addition.  

Sift the other half of the flour with the remaining dry  ingredients into a separate bowl.  Alternately fold the flour and fruit and nut mixture into the egg mixture until well combined.

Scoop the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin, then bake for three to three and a half hours, reducing the temperature of the oven if necessary during the cooking process.  If the top of the cake starts getting too brown before it is finished cooking, place a foil "tent" over the top of the cake to protect the cake from burning on top.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin on a wire rack.

Store the cake wrapped in fresh baking paper and aluminium foil in a cool dark place until Christmas.  You may optionally ice the cake with royal icing or marzipan and fondant, but it is good as is.  Slice into small pieces and serve.