Guinness Fruitcake
In stock
Guinness if one of my favourite drinks; it is a stout made from water, barley, roasted malt extract, hops and yeast. Some of the barley is roasted giving it its characteristic colour and taste, and although not an overpowering flavour in the cake, there is definitely a malty roasted taste. One for the Guinness lovers!
You will need
- 2 large loaf tins
Ingredients
- 350g sultanas
- 275g raisins
- 225g currants
- 50g mixed peel
- 300ml Guinness
- 50g treacle
- 50g golden syrup
- 175g soft brown sugar
- 225g unsalted butter
- 4 free range eggs
- 100g plain flour
- 175 self raising flour
- 1 tbsp mixed spice
- 50g ground almonds
- 50 flaked almonds
- A little brandy for pouring over
For the decoration
- 750g almond paste
Method
Bake slowly at a low temperature: Conventional oven 140C, fan oven 120C, Gas Mark 1 for 2.5-3 hours. AGA cooking: start in the Baking Oven for 30 minutes, and then move to the Simmering Oven for 8-10 hours.
Prepare the sultanas, raisins, and currants and place in a bowl. Add the mixed peel and Guinness and mix well. Cover and leave to soak overnight. Grease and line 2 large loaf tins.
Mix in the treacle and golden syrup on the following day and set to one side. Preheat your oven if necessary. Cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time with a spoonful of flour.
Mix in all the remaining dry ingredients and finally the soaked fruit mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and level the top.
Bake slowly at a low temperature. In conventional ovens you may need to cover the cake during the last hour to prevent the top from burning.
In AGA cookers the baking starts off in the Baking Oven for approximately 30 minutes, then transfer the cake to the Simmering Oven for the remaining baking time of approximately 8-10 hours.
Test the fruitcake to check that it is completely baked. Pour over a little brandy while the cake is still hot and leave in the tin to cool.
Mature the cake at room temperature for at least four weeks, leaving the greaseproof paper on and wrapping in a second layer and then two layers of food wrap.
Decorate with 750g almond paste; make white almond paste using white caster sugar and egg whites.
Recipe from Fruitcake by Ursula Evans
