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For the preparation of this cake you will need at least three medium to large mixing bowls, using the largest one to cream the spread and sugar together.
For cooking you will need a cake tin of your chosen size, a baking sheet, 3 sheets of either brown paper or newspaper and some string.
- Soak the dried fruit overnight in a good slosh of brandy or rum. This makes
a big difference to the final texture of the cake. The alcohol will all cook
off, so if you don't want alcohol in the finished cake, don't worry.
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 200°C / 400°F
- Grease a cake tin with dairy-free spread and line it with two layers of
greaseproof paper. Grease the paper lining as well. Cut a strip of brown paper
or newspaper 2" / 5cm higher than the depth of the tin and about 2" / 5cm
longer than the circumference of the tin. Fold the strip in half lengthwise,
wrap it around the tin and secure with string.
N.B. Do not use Sellotape or plastic string: they melt.
You need proper, old-fashioned string.
- Mince together the almonds, peel and cherries. An old-fashioned mincer
seems to work best, but a food processor with a small container would do. The
aim is to end up with a finely chopped/mashed mixture.
- Sift the flour and mixed spice together in a bowl.
- Beat the eggs in another bowl.
- Cream the dairy-free spread and sugar
together in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the beaten eggs to the spread and
sugar mixture a little at a time. With each addition of egg add a small amount
of your flour and spice mixture: roughly a dessertspoonful is plenty. The flour
will stop the mixture from curdling. Beat well after each addition.
- Add the lemon rind and stir well.
- Add the dried fruit and the almond/peel/cherry mixture. Mix very
thoroughly.
- Stir in the flour/mixed spice and add the lemon juice. Mix well again.
- Scoop into the tin, pressing down gently with a spoon to ensure
there are no air pockets. Level the top with the back of the spoon.
- Line a baking tray with two layers of brown paper/newspaper and place the
filled cake tin on it.
- Reduce the oven temperature to Gas Mark 3 / 170°C / 325°F
- Bake the cake on one shelf below the centre of the oven for:
- 1st hour - Gas Mark 3 / 170°C / 325°F
- 2nd hour - Gas Mark 2 / 150°C / 300°F
- 3rd hour - Gas Mark 1 / 140°C / 275°F
- 4th hour - Gas Mark ½ / 120°C / 250°F
- If the cake is still very pale after 3 hours, cook for the fourth hour at
Gas Mark 1 / 140°C / 275°F. If after 3 hours the cake is already
sufficiently brown but not fully cooked, put a sheet of brown paper over the
top for the fourth hour. Otherwise leave uncovered and lower the temperature as
per the instructions. After 3 hours test cake every 30 minutes to see if it is
cooked. Test by pressing gently with your fingers: if it is cooked, it should
spring back when pressed and it will have started to shrink in slightly from
the sides.
- When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven but leave it in the tin
to cool.
- When it is completely cool, remove it from the tin. To make the cake
keep well and stay moist, you may wish to prick over the top with a skewer and
spoon a little sherry, brandy or rum into the cake. Turn the cake upside down
and repeat the process. Wrap the cake in foil and store in an airtight tin. For
the full effect, the pricking and dosing with spirits should be repeated twice
more at intervals of a week.
This recipe works just as well if made with 81% Stone Ground Self
Raising flour. The extra "oomph" of the self raising flour compensates for the
increased heaviness of the bran content, and the taste and texture are really
good. Most good health food shops sell Marriages 81% flour (not Holland and
Barratt in my experience), though it is rare in supermarkets. You can use 100%
Stone Ground flour, but you must expect a much heavier texture. You would also
probably need to increase the liquid levels in the recipe to compensate for the
extra absorbency of the high bran content. I know that 81% flour works
perfectly to the original recipe because I've done it!
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