White Fruit Cake Recipe

This recipe originates from a grandmother called Nana in the USA

-  we just gave it an SA tweak. It is gorgeous as a dessert cake with preserves, aged cheese and a glass of Calitzdorp Muskadel (you can order it from us) on the side.

Nana’s White Fruit Cake

Ingredients

338g Soft butter

4 cups Flour

2 cups Sugar

6 Egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

6 Egg yolks

½ cup Klipdrift Brandy (or brandy essence for a non-alcoholic option)

2 tsp baking powder

450g Nuts (we used almonds and pecans)

800g Fruit – not the traditional fruit mix. We used red cherries, green cherries, cranberries and giant raisins.

(You can also add glace pineapple or whatever fruit you prefer.)

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 160°C.

Combine nuts and fruit and sprinkle over a ¼ cup of the flour,

working it through with your hands. (This helps the fruit not to sink to the bottom of the cake.)

Sift together the rest of the flour and baking powder.

Cream butter and sugar and add the egg yolks little by little.

Add flour and brandy.

Fold in the fruit and nuts.

Fold in the beaten egg whites.

Pour mixture into a greased cake tin with baking paper on the bottom.

Bake for about 1 ½ hours or until set and golden brown.

If it gets brown at the top before the cake is solid, place a sheet of baking paper over the cake.

Let it cool a bit and then sprinkle a ¼ cup of brandy over the cake.

Wrap in tinfoil or clingwrap and let it stand. You can add some more brandy if you wish before serving.

It is good if it matures a bit, but can be eaten within a day or two.

******

PS.

If you’re pressed for time this festive season,

let us bake a 1kg White Christmas Cake for you!

R220.00

(including festive wrapping)

Contact andante@lekkerbek.co.za