Super simple too easy Christmas Cake…

Not quite as easy as just purchasing a pre made but not that far off it as far as ease, expense and time go.

A little while ago I posted my Christmas cake recipe on here. Well, for one reason or another (and quite a few in fact) tonight I am baking a super easy ‘frugal’ but tasty (so I am told – and hope to affirm) fruitcake.

I first heard of this recipe from another mother at my daughters playgroup and have since learnt that it’s recipe can be found all over the web courtesy of the magic of google. (As I have heard and tend to agree on…. if you can’t google it, it can’t be done!)

Here it is again, and I’m really not sure who to credit with the recipe or where it originated so if anybody knows just where this recipe first hailed from let me know… hmm that google theory may already be prooving a little shaky!

INGREDIENTS: 1kg mixed fruit 500ml iced coffee 2 cups self raising flour METHOD: Soak mixed fruit in iced coffee overnight. Next day, mix flour with fruit/coffee mixture and spoon into greased, floured and lined baking tin. Bake at 140c for approx 1 1/2 hours. DONE!!!

***Now never being content with leaving a recipe well enough alone here is how I modified my cake:
1kg mixed fruit and nuts (I used sultanas, currants, dried citrus, figs, dates, glace cherries, brazil nuts, macadamias and walnuts)

Approx 350ml iced coffee (compliments of darling husband who spotted the iced coffee in the fridge and guzzled a mouthful or two before I was onto him)

Approx 1 shot (or two) each of baileys, brandy and cold espresso

Oh… as you can see along with my lack of constraint in following recipes is my habit to guess-timate measurements…

Everything else remained the same (I will however continue to dredge the cake for the next week with brandy before icing and decorating it).

Now, I wanted to post some pictures of my cake in the making but here’s a warning… fruit cake in its prep stages does not photograph all that nicely… you have been warned!


The above photo is of the fruit and iced coffee mix… looked horrible but smelt divinely sweet, boozy and caffeinated all in one!


…now here it is with the two cups of flour mixed in…




…and now in the pan ready to be baked for 1 1/2 hours at 140C (about 230F)…
And …. straight out of the oven…



So, so easy it kind of feels wrong but I’m going to have to wait till the family get together to deliver a verdict on taste (my kitchen sure does smell delicious right now though)… I just have to decide how I will decorate this…. I will keep you posted.