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Gaby's Bakery - Royal Fruit Cake

May 06, 2023

Probably England’s most traditional cake where versions morph into Christmas pudding and wedding cakes.

My King Charles’ Coronation Celebration Cake (🙈 alliteration unintended) is fruit-rich and moist with a honey glaze to give a surface twinkle.

King Charles' Royal Fruit Cake

Ingredients:
525g mixed dried fruit & peel
300ml tea
225g plain flour
150g unsalted butter (room temp)
150g dark muscovado sugar
110g ground almonds
100g glace cherries (roughly chopped)
4 eggs
1 tbsp treacle
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground nutmeg
Runny honey & flaked almonds to decorate

Method:
The evening before;
Mix 300ml boiling water with 1 teabag and allow to cool. Place the mixed dried fruit and peel in a large bowl and then add cooled tea.

Cover and soak overnight.

The following day;
Preheat oven to 150c fan. Grease and line a 23cm springform cake tin.

Beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each. Add the flour, almonds, treacle, baking powder, vanilla, mixed spice & nutmeg and beat in until all just incorporated.

Drain the mixed fruit and keep the liquid to one side. Add the dried fruits and cherries to the batter and fold in until all mixed, then pour into the prepared tin.

Place in the oven and bake for appx 2 hours, until firm to touch and dark brown on top. Remove from the oven, poke some holes all over and drizzle in the tea. Allow to cool fully on a wire rack.

Mix some honey and a dash of vanilla extract, spread over the top of the cake and sprinkle with flaked almonds.