Nigella's Christmas Chocolate Fruit Cake

fifib

anyone tried this recipe out? would like to make this for xmas and ice it too but would icing ruin it?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chocolatefruitcake_84675

pwurple

I've not tried this one, but in general I find Nigella's recipies to be hit and miss. Some are disasters, some are great. It's an expensive list of ingredients to give it a test run though.

A quick glance through the recipe doesn't look to have enough flour vs sugar to make it stable. There's about 350 grams of sugar and honey, vs 174 flour. I could see it falling apart out of the oven, or when you cut it.

http://www.finecooking.com/articles/ratios-for-great-cakes.aspx



It's a very well lit photo though, I'll give it that.

Jellybaby1

Nigella's cake looks a tad sunk which proves your point pwurple. That sure is one heck of an expensive cake all right. I'd substitute cheaper ingredients if I was going to try it and add maybe more flour - would ground almonds help I wonder?

Toto Wolfcastle

There are some reviews of it on foodnetwork.com if you want to see what people who made it thought of it.

sandy_c

I've made this, it's yum! It is a bit pricey but worth it. I did find that it sunk a little but i put an extra bit of icing on the top to even it out, or you could use marzipan. I preferred it to most fruit cakes i've tasted.

aoife161

Hey I make this cake every year. I love it!

normally turns out great. This year I decided to split the mixture into two smaller cakes.. As I've an idea for some fun icing so two cakes gives me ability to have some fun.

The best part of this cake is when all your fruit and sugar is in the pot bubbling away... Smells divine!

phormium

Just watched Nigella make that cake on some one of the food channels. If I was making that I would boil up the fruits etc like she does but I would leave that mix overnight before adding eggs and flour etc next day. The mix looks too wet which would be why it will sink as it is just too soft to hold up the fruit. If you let the mix cool overnight the fruit will absorb much more of that liquid and it will be a firmer mix going into oven. I think that would be a better method while keeping the same taste

fifib

how long will this cake hold for? presume not as long as a normal xmas cake

Jellybaby1

I noticed there is no 'keeping' ingredient in it, i.e. alcohol. So it shouldn't need to be left hanging around to mature.

phormium

Alcohol is not the 'keeping' ingredient in fruit cakes, it's sugar is the preservative, mainly the dried fruits.

Jellybaby1

I always was told alcohol was the 'keeping' ingredient in Christmas cakes even though I knew sugar is the 'keeper' for jam. Learning every day. So why do I put alcohol into Christmas cake then, is there another reason for it?

pwurple

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

I always was told alcohol was the 'keeping' ingredient in Christmas cakes even though I knew sugar is the 'keeper' for jam. Learning every day. So why do I put alcohol into Christmas cake then, is there another reason for it?

Deliciousness!

phormium

Exactly, flavour mainly if you like it. I soak the fruit in an alcohol mix but I do not stick things in it and pour more raw alcohol over it when it is baked, grand if you like it but not at all necessary to it's keeping qualities.

aoife161

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

I noticed there is no 'keeping' ingredient in it, i.e. alcohol. So it shouldn't need to be left hanging around to mature.

there's coffee liqueur in it.

Jellybaby1

aoife161 wrote: »

there's coffee liqueur in it.

Forgive my ignorance....is that alcohol?

sandy_c

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Forgive my ignorance....is that alcohol?

Yep, Tia Maria

hungry hippo 4

Faith

Let's leave any allegations - even allusions to them - out of this thread.