100 ml gin to soak the fruit, plus extra to feed the cake
200 g unsalted butter, softened
200 g dark brown muscovado sugar
1 Tbsp. treacle
4 medium eggs, beaten
250 g plain flour
1 tsp. mixed spice
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
75 g walnut pieces
Directions
Step 1
Put dried fruit and dates into a large non-metallic bowl. Stir 2tbsp tea leaves into 200ml (7fl oz) hot water and pour over fruit, together with the gin. Stir to coat fruit, then cover bowl with clingfilm and leave to soak overnight at room temperature.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan) mark 1. Grease and line base and sides of a 20.5cm (8in) round deep cake tin with baking parchment, making sure it comes 2cm (¾ in) above the top. Wrap a double layer of baking parchment around outside of tin, and secure with string.
Step 3
In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and treacle with a handheld electric whisk until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs – if mixture looks like it might curdle, beat in 1tbsp flour. With a large metal spoon, mix in flour, remaining tea leaves, spices, soaked fruit with liquid, and walnuts. Scrape into prepared tin and level surface.
Step 4
Bake for 3¼ -3½ hr, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in tin for 30min, then take out of tin (keep parchment around cake) and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
To store and feed: Wrap the cooled Christmas cake (still in parchment) in a couple of layers of clingfilm, then cover with foil. Store in a cool place. After 2 weeks, unwrap, prick cake all over and pour over 1tbsp gin. Rewrap and store as before, feeding cake every few weeks for a stronger flavour. Store for up to 3 months.
Per Serving:
Calories: 489
Fibre: 3 g
Total carbs: 77 g
Sugars: 65 g
Total fat: 15 g
Saturated fat: 7 g
Protein: 6 g
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The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
