BAKING PROJECT

When I was young, my dad would take us to this Mamak restaurant.  On every table, they would serve slices of fruit cake wrapped in clear plastic.  You could see all the raisins in there, and I remember my dad loved it.  So, whenever I bake a Fruit cake, it always reminds me of our regular trips back in Sitiawan, Perak.

One thing which holds me back from baking fruit cakes regularly is the amount of preparation beforehand.  The weighing of all the ingredients and also lining of the baking pan itself.  Because this recipe requires baking for about 2 1/2 hours, the pan had to be lined quite thick to prevent the cake from being overcooked.

Grease the inside of the pan.  Double-line the side and bottom with non-stick baking paper.  On the outside, wrap with another 2 layers of brown paper.  The baking sheet is lined with 4 thickness of brown paper.  Make sure the top has an extra one inch above the tin, again to prevent burning the sides.  I also sprayed the baking paper before pouring in the cake batter.

Now comes the recipe.  This is adapted from a recipe by Nicholas Lodge.  Makes a 7 inch round cake.

INGREDIENTS

*  For the fruits, you could also buy packs of  ready-mix fruits instead of individually weighing them.

METHOD

Place A in a bowl, mix well and leave overnight, if possible.

In another big bowl, mix in B.  I just use a wooden spoon, and not mixer for this.  Beat for about 3 minutes until the batter is smooth.   Now take A and stir into B.  Stir gently until all the fruit is equally distributed.

Spoon into the prepared cake pan.  Smooth the top with the back of a wet spoon. Bake at 140C  for about 2 1/2 hours, or slightly less.

If you dont intend to eat the cake immediately, just leave the lining paper on cause it will prevent the cake from drying.  I would wrap this cake in aluminum foil and keep it in the fridge.  Will last for a month, at least.

The cake is delicious and moist, and I hope you’ll try it.  Definitely a keeper.