Cathy’s Low Salt Christmas Cake

Cathy’s Low Salt Christmas Cake

Ingredients:

1kg mixed dried fruit
200g glace cherries
200g mixed peel
½ cup marsala, sherry or brandy
¼ cup each orange juice and lemon juice
1 level tablespoon golden syrup
285g unsalted butter
225g dark brown sugar

Finely grated rind of a large lemon and a large orange
5 eggs
225g plain flour
½ cup (125ml or 80g) self raising flour (if you are a really strict Salt Skipper, you can use 1 level teaspoon of Salt Skip Baking Powder in ½ cup plain flour for this item – or just leave it out and increase the plain flour to 300g)
1 level teaspoon mixed spice
1 level teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon brandy or marsala

Method:

Put the mixed fruit and peel into a saucepan. Add the fruit juices, marsala and golden syrup. Heat, stirring occasionally until they steam well. Allow to cool. Cover with a lid or foil and leave for at least 12 hours. I put mine in the fridge overnight.
Have the butter slightly soft. Beat with sugar and grated orange and lemon rind until creamy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well. If the mixture curdles, add about ½ cup of the measured flour and beat until smooth.
Empty into a larger bowl.

Sift flour and spices, add to the creamed mixture.
Then add the prepared fruits and mix well together.
Line a deep cake tin (about 20cm square or 22cm round) with a couple of thicknesses of baking paper and an inner one of foil. Grease the inner layer.
Empty the mixture into the tin, spreading it evenly.
Bake in a slow oven until a thin skewer speared into one of the small surface cracks emerges clean (takes about 3 to 3.5 hours).

Sprinkle the brandy or marsala over the top and cover with baking paper or foil.
Wrap the cake in several layers of paper or a tea towel, so that it will cool slowly and stay moist.
Wait before icing for at least 24 hours.
These days I don’t bother with icing. It is very nice and healthier without!

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