Gin & Tonic Christmas Cake

 

Ingredients

• 1 dried mixed fruit
• 75 g (3oz) dates (stoned), roughly chopped
• 6 tbsp. loose leaf Earl Grey tea
• 100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) gin to soak the fruit, plus extra to feed the cake
• 200 g (7oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 200 g (7oz) dark brown muscovado sugar
• 1 tbsp. treacle
• 4 medium eggs, beaten
• 250 g (9oz) plain flour
• 1 tsp. mixed spice
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 75 g (3oz) walnut pieces

Directions

1. Put dried fruit and dates into a large non-metallic bowl. Stir 2tbsp tea leaves into 200ml  (7fl oz) hot water and pour over fruit, together with the gin. Stir to coat fruit, then cover bowl with clingfilm and leave to soak overnight at room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan) mark 1. Grease and line base and sides of a 20.5cm (8in) round deep cake tin with baking parchment, making sure it comes 2cm (¾ in) above the top. Wrap a double layer of baking parchment around outside of tin, and secure with string.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and treacle with a handheld electric whisk until light and  fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs – if mixture looks like it might curdle, beat in 1tbsp flour. With a large metal spoon, mix in flour, remaining tea leaves, spices, soaked fruit with liquid, and walnuts. Scrape into prepared tin and level surface.
4. Bake for 3¼ -3½ hr, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in tin for 30min, then take out of tin (keep parchment around cake) and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.