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–+ servings
Whole Wheat Classic Christmas Cake

Whole Wheat Classic Christmas Cake (Genoa Cake)

Whole Wheat Classic Christmas Cake or Genoa Cake is a rich, dense and moist cake loaded with dried fruits, fed with brandy and a perfect Christmas or year round treat.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Soaking Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 2 Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1.5 Cup ~ 225 grams Raisins
  • 1.5 cup ~ 225 grams Currants
  • ½ Cup - 150 grams Figs
  • 1.5 cup ~ 225 grams glazed dried cherries
  • 1 Cup - 150 grams Apricots
  • ½ Cup - 125 grams Mixed Peel
  • 1 Cup ~ 110 grams Prunes
  • 4 tablespoon brandy (plus extra for feeding the cake)
  • 275 grams Whole Wheat flour
  • ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon Powered cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon dried Ginger
  • 400 gram softened butter
  • 400 gram dark brown sugar/Muscovado Sugar
  • 5 Medium eggs
  • 70 grams ~ ½ Cup chopped almonds
  • 1 tablespoon Black Treacle
  • Grated Zest of 1 Organic Lemon
  • Grated Zest of 1 Organic Orange

For Garnish

  • 10-12 Few Almonds
  • Few Cherries

Instructions

Soaking of the Dried Fruits

  • In a large bowl put the currants, raisins, dried and quartered cherries, mixed peels, chopped apricots, Figs and prunes.
    1.5 Cup ~ 225 grams Raisins, 1.5 cup ~ 225 grams Currants, ½ Cup - 150 grams Figs, 1.5 cup ~ 225 grams glazed dried cherries, 1 Cup - 150 grams Apricots, ½ Cup - 125 grams Mixed Peel, 1 Cup ~ 110 grams Prunes
  • Add 4 tablespoon of brandy and stir it in.
    4 tablespoon brandy
    Soaking of the Dried Fruits
  • Cover and leave it in a cool place overnight or up to 1 week.
  • If leaving for up to a week give it a stir in between.

Baking the Cake

  • Lightly grease a 9 inches deep round cake tin, or 9 and 8 inches round cake tin with butter.
    Greased Cake Tin
  • Dust some flour on the tin (If not using parchment paper)
    Prepared cake tin
  • If using parchment paper, put a circle of non-stick baking parchment paper in to the base of the tin and along the edges.
  • If using just 1 tin, make sure your parchment paper is almost 2.5 times in height along the edges as the batter is huge in quantity.
  • Preheat the oven to 140 Deg C.
  • Sieve in the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger in a bowl and keep it aside.
    275 grams Whole Wheat flour, ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon Powered cinnamon, ½ teaspoon dried Ginger
    The flour mixture
  • In a seperate bowl take in 1 tablespoon of flour mixture
    Flour added to almonds
  • Mix it with chopped almonds. This helps the almonds not getting sunk at the bottom. Keep it aside.
    Flour mixed in almonds
  • Add in 3-4 tablespoon of flour mixture to the soaked dryfruits.
    Flour added in Christmas dried fruits
  • Coat the dry fruits with the flour mixture. This helps in the nuts not getting sinked at the bottom.
  • In your stand mixer or your bowl, add in the softened butter.
    400 gram softened butter
    Softened Butter
  • Beat it until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes)
    Creamed Butter
  • Add in the sugar. Make sure it is lump free.
    400 gram dark brown sugar/Muscovado Sugar
    Sugar added to butter
  • Beat it until well incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy.
    Sugar and Butter creamed together
  • Add in the eggs one by one and beat the mixture until all the eggs are mixed thoroughly.
    5 Medium eggs
    Eggs, Sugar and Butter creamed together
  • Add in Treacle, orange and lemon zest, chopped almonds flour mixture and give it a nice mix.
    1 tablespoon Black Treacle, Grated Zest of 1 Organic Lemon, Grated Zest of 1 Organic Orange, 70 grams ~ ½ Cup chopped almonds
    Zest & Treacle added to flour mixture
  • Add in the sifted flour mixture and mix again.
    Flour added to the mixture
  • Fold in the soaked fruits.
    Dried fruits added to the mixture
  • Be sure to reach out the bottom of the bowl at times flour remains below.
    Christams Cake battter ready
  • Spoon the mixture into prepared cake tin.
    layering the cake
  • Spread out evenly with the back of a spoon.
    Batter filled in a cake tin
  • Decorate the top with whole almonds and glazed cherries.
    10-12 Few Almonds, Few Cherries
    Top of cake batter is decorated
  • Cover the top of the cake with greaseproof paper and bake in preheated oven for 4-4.5 hours or until the cake feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  • Let the cake cool completely in the tin.
  • Once cooled, pierce the cake with a fine skewer or toothpick. Feed it with a tablespoon of brandy or orange juice.
    The back side of Christmas Cake
  • Wrap the cake with a double layer of greaseproof paper and again in foil. Store it in a cool and dry place for up to 3 months, feeding at regular intervals.

Notes

  • 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon=15 ml, 1 Cup=235 ml
  • I have used cinnamon and ginger instead of allspice. One can replace it with allspice powder.
  • Feel free to change the ratio of dried fruits.
  • One can use all-purpose flour too instead of whole wheat flour.
  • Brandy can be replaced with Orange Juice.