"Here's my rendition of a classic holiday gift that you may wish to keep for yourself. Choose the highest-quality dried and/or glazed whole fruits from gourmet markets instead of the sticky-sweet candied ones or diced pieces sold in most supermarkets. Oil your kitchen scissors to snip sticky fruits. Substitute bourbon, cognac, dark rum, or orange-flavored liqueur for the brandy; if desired. Although this cake is good the day after baking, it benefits from storage, so you may wish to make it several weeks or months before serving or giving. Glaze the cake, if desired, up to 2 days before serving or giving. To create the traditional English Christmas cake, omit the optional glaze. Roll out high-quality marzipan (available in cake-decorating stores and some supermarkets) into sheets and completely encases the top and sides of the cake, then decorate with Royal Icing...."
INGREDIENTS
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4 cups coarsely chopped or snipped high-quality mixed dried and/or glazed fruits such as apricots, cherries, citron, dates, and pineapple
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2 cups golden raisins
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2 cups dried currants and/or cranberries
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1/2 cup chopped drained preserved ginger in syrup or crystallized ginger
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1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
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1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
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2 tablespoons grated or minced fresh orange zest
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2 tablespoons grated or minced fresh lemon Zest
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1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
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1 teaspoon pure almond extract
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1 cup brandy for soaking fruit
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2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda
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1 teaspoon salt
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2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
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1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
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1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
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1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
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5 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
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1/2 cup light molasses
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4 cups coarsely chopped mixed nuts such as hazelnuts (filberts), pecans and walnuts
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Brandy for soaking cakes (optional)
