Three Wise Men Yuletide Fruitcake

My ‘Three Wise Men Yuletide Fruitcake’ has a generous portion of the three wise men of alcohol, and no its not Jim, Jack and Johnnie but our Goan friends; the ornery old monk, the fine teacher and the priestly tipple –Vinicola. Soaking the fruits in the alcohol and then feeding the cake each day with some more adds a unique depth and flavor to this Christmas cake. This is the  perfect recipe when you want to show off some baking prowess. Feliz Natal.

Ingredients

½ cup Old Monk Dark Rum

½ cup Teachers Whisky

½   cup Vinicola Port wine

3 cups dried fruit (a combination of golden and black raisins, glace cherries, dates, figs

and orange peel ;as per your preference), chopped

1 cup salted butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

4 large eggs

3 cups flour

1 cup nuts (a combination of almonds, cashewnuts and walnuts), chopped

1 tblsp ground mixed spice ( a combination of cinnamon, cloves and ginger)

2 tblsp orange marmalade

Zest and juice of 1 orange

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tblsp baking powder

2 tblsp molasses/ treacle or a dash of caramel colour

Mix the alcohols together and use half of it to soak the fruit overnight in an airtight container. Keep the rest of the alcohol aside for feeding the baked cake later. You may soak the fruits for longer if you desire.

To prepare the cake batter, cream the butter and sugar well, and then add eggs one at a time, beating well, in between each addition. Fold in all the other ingredients till well incorporated. Pour into two 7 inch lined pans and bake in a preheated oven at 170 degree Celsius till done.  Leave the cake to cool, remove from pan and douse with some of the remaining alcohol. Wrap the cake in cling wrap and parchment paper and keep in a cool dry place. Feed the cake with the remaining alcohol for a couple of days to a week before serving.