Earl Grey Christmas Cake with Brandy Buttercream
By OcadoLife
Published on 20 April 2022
If you don’t like icing or marzipan, you can enjoy your Christmas cake unadorned as some do in Yorkshire, with a slice of wensleydale cheese. We've decorated ours with buttercream and finished it with dried orange slices, which you can make by brushing both sides of thin orange slices with sugar syrup (100ml water mixed with 100g caster sugar) then drying in a preheated oven at 100ºC/80ºC fan/gas 1/4 for 2½ hrs. Brush them with more syrup when they're done and leave in a cool place overnight to dry.Time and servings
3 hrsTotal time
10Servings
3 hrsPrep time
Ingredients
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 650 g of mixed dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants)
- 75 g of almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 200 ml of hot earl grey tea, plus 2tbsp cold earl grey tea, plus extra for feeding
- 6 tbsp of brandy, plus extra for feeding (optional)
- 175 g of unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 175 g of light soft brown sugar
- 3 tbsp of dark treacle
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 275 g of plain flour
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 2 tsp of mixed spice
- 1 pinch of salt
- 150 g of unsalted butter, softened
- 300 g of icing sugar
- 1 tbsp of maple syrup
- 1 tsp of vanilla paste
Method
Step 1
Tip the dried fruit into a large bowl with the almonds, citrus zest and juice, 200ml hot earl grey tea and 4tbsp of the brandy. Mix well, cover and set aside overnight for the fruit to soak.Step 2
The next day, butter the inside of a deep-sided 20cm cake tin and line the base and sides with a double thickness of baking parchment, making sure the paper comes 2cm above the top. Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2.Step 3
Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and light. Add the treacle and mix to combine.Step 4
Gradually pour in the beaten eggs, mixing well after each addition. If the mixture starts to curdle, add 1tbsp or so of the measured flour, mix, then carry on adding the eggs.Step 5
Sift the remaining flour, baking powder, mixed spice and pinch of salt into the bowl. Add 2tbsp cold earl grey tea and mix again to thoroughly combine.Step 6
Scoop the cake mixture into the prepared tin, level the top with the back of a spoon and bake for 2 hrs, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cover the cake loosely with foil if it browns too much before the end of the cooking time.Step 7
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 mins, then remove it and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.Step 8
Wrap in foil and leave at least overnight before icing. If making the cake ahead of time, it will keep for 3 months and can be fed every 15 days with 1tbsp each of cooled earl grey tea and brandy, if liked. To feed the cake, poke several holes in the top using a skewer, then spoon the liquid over, letting it soak into the cake.Step 9
To ice the cake, make a buttercream frosting by creaming the butter and icing sugar together with an electric whisk until smooth, light and fluffy. Whisk through the maple syrup, remaining 2tbsp brandy and vanilla paste, then spread the icing over the sides and top of the cake using a palette knife.