The Last-Minute Christmas Cake

I’m not organised enough to start a Christmas fruit cake the traditional way, by soaking the fruits for weeks, and then feeding the cake with rum for another few weeks before slicing into it. If you can relate, this recipe is for you! Made just a few days before Christmas by cooking the fruits in alcohol concentrates the flavour and the result is still a rich, citrusy, boozy cake that would rival any other. I hope you love this one!

• 400 gms mixed candied peel
• 50 gms dried cherries or glace cherries
• 200 gms dried cranberries
• 50 gms raisins
• 3/4th cup plus 2 tbsps beer (225 ml; any kind is ok)
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp whiskey or dark rum (100 ml)
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (60 ml)
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 tbsps honey or molasses

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 gms)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1/4 tsp clove powder
• 3/4 cup butter, room temperature (200 gms)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (215 gms)
• 5 eggs, at room temperature