Boiled Fruit Cake

Fruit cake often reminds me of the festive celebration of Christmas; the need to plan in advance.  From buying of gifts to what cookies to bake and who to invite for Christmas dinner.  Preparation of fruit cake is the same.  The dried fruit need to be soaked in liquer for days, baked for hours and days of waiting in anticipation for the cake to mature.

But there is this fruit cake that can be prepared and baked within hours.  This is non other than boiled fruit cake.  The difference between boiled fruit cake and baked fruit cake is, instead of soaking the fruits in liquer to soften they are boiled in water.  Besides that, boiled fruit cake can be consumed immediately, no waiting time is required. 

Though boiled fruit cake doesn't keep as well baked fruit cake, there is no compromise inthe taste.  In fact, I prefer boiled fruit cake as the liquid that the fruits are boiled in further enhance the flavour of the cake.  To give the cake a kick, I added rum.  Rum and dried fruits seems to pair so well that you can tell usually tell when one is missing from the other in a fruit cake.

Boiled Fruit Cake

Ingredients
(A)
500g mixed fruit
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
250g butter

(B)
3 cups plain flour
2 tsp mixed spice
3 tsp baking soda
3 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup rum (optional)
4 eggs

1.  Bring ingredients (A) to boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and leave to cool completely.
2.  Add in rum, if using.
3.  Stir in beaten eggs.
4.  Fold in ingredient (B) that have been sifted.
5.  Pour into baking pan lined with greased proof paper.
5.  Bake in oven preheated to 180C for 45 to 55 mins or until skew comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.

Note
1.  Rum can be replaced with brandy.
2.  I used two 3.5 inch by 8 inch baking pan.
3.  The fruit can be increased to 750g if desired.