Rom’s Christmas Cake
This is my mother Rom’s Christmas cake — dense, dark, and deeply comforting. It’s the sort of cake that improves with time, rewards patience, and belongs as much to quiet evenings as it does to Christmas Day itself. It’s rich without being showy, and properly moist. Perfect with custard while still warm, equally good with a cup of tea, a glass of sherry, or a wee dram late at night. Wrapped carefully, and appropriately doused in brandy, it will keep for months.
Servings 1 large cake
Equipment
- 1 Square Cake tin 25 × 25 cm square tin at least 7–8 cm (deeper is better) Heavy-gauge aluminium or dark steel for even heat
Ingredients
- 900 g plain flour plain white
- 900 g sultanas
- 450 g currants
- 225 g mixed peel
- 450 g sugar
- 450 g butter
- 4 tsps baking soda
- 115 g almonds blanched
- ½ tsp nutmeg ground
- 10 g almonds ground
- 10 ml lemon juice
- 600 ml milk
- 4 eggs
- ¼ tsp vanilla essence
- brandy as required – optional but highly recommended. You always need more than you think.
Instructions
- Put the sultanas, currents and mixed peel in a bowl and cover with brandy. Tightly cover the bowl and let it sit somewhere cool overnight.900 g sultanas, 450 g currants, 225 g mixed peel, brandy
- Preheat the oven to 150 °C. This is a slow cake — it needs a gentle oven and plenty of time.
- Grease a large cake tin well with butter and line it carefully with baking paper, allowing the paper to rise above the sides of the tin.
- Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.900 g plain flour, 450 g butter
- Add all remaining dry ingredients and mix thoroughly, ensuring the fruit and nuts are evenly coated.900 g sultanas, 450 g currants, 225 g mixed peel, 450 g sugar, 4 tsps baking soda, 115 g almonds, ½ tsp nutmeg, 10 g almonds
- Add the lemon juice and mix well10 ml lemon juice
- Bring the milk to the boil, then let it cool for a few minutes.600 ml milk
- Lightly beat the eggs, then slowly pour the warm milk over them, stirring constantly so the eggs don’t scramble. Add the vanilla essence.4 eggs, ¼ tsp vanilla essence
- Pour this custard-like mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well. The batter should be very wet and heavy.
- If using brandy, add it now. The mixture should settle easily in the tin — add a little more milk or brandy if needed.brandy
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top gently.
- Bake for 4–5 hours in the slow oven. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to rest briefly before turning out onto a cooling rack. Do not wrap or store until completely cold.
- For long keeping, wrap the cooled cake in several layers of foil. Stored properly, it will last for months.
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