Everyday Fruit Cake

26 April 2021 ~ cozebakes ~ Leave a comment

I’m a huge fan of a fruit cake, of any variety at all. I absolutely love fruit cake but there is the awful dread that you’ll bite into a slice and it will be dry…disaster! No fear with this recipe at all. It’s so delicious and moist and you can add your favourite dried fruit when making it.

No mixer needed to get this into the oven and it takes about 15 minutes , an hour to bake and the smell, it’s just so good!

I would feel you’re better making this cake the day before you need it as it cuts better after resting for about 24 hours.

I used a 6″ / 16cm square tin but it will also work in a 2lb loaf tin. I would recommend you have some parchment up above the side of your loaf tin while prepping it.

Continue reading →

Celebration Fruit & Christmas Cake – Gluten Free

christmas cake, celebration cake, fruit cake, gluten free fruit cake, cozebakes

13 November 2018 ~ cozebakes ~ 1 Comment

If you’re looking for a traditional style fruit cake to decorate for a special occasion and one that’s gluten free, then this will be your “go to” recipe. It’s rich and dark and holds really well for fondant or other icing and decorating. It’s perfect for Christmas!

This recipe makes an 8″ round cake. If you double the quantities, you will get a 10″ cake for greater numbers.

I’ve adapted it a little to give it a bit of depth and it’s worked really well. The recipe is originally from a gluten free magazine.

Continue reading →

Boiled Fruit Cake

24 August 2017 ~ cozebakes ~ Leave a comment

There’s something so comforting about a lovely piece of fruit cake with your morning or afternoon cuppa. The only thing about most fruit cakes is the time they take to make so the perfect solution is a boiled fruit cake which takes much shorter time to make and will keep for well over a week in an airtight container.

I replaced some of the original ingredients and reduced the sugar and amount of dried fruit which I found worked well. I’ll reduce the sugar further for the next time I make it.

Continue reading →

Tea Brack (Wholemeal Spelt and Gluten Free variations included)

21 January 2017 ~ cozebakes ~ 2 Comments

I think it must be at least 25 years since a neighbour in our first home gave me this recipe. I have no idea where it’s from but as most Tea Brack recipes are similar to each other, this won’t be a big surprise but I can promise you a delicious result. There’s no sugar added here and no need either. Let the fruit add its natural sweetness.

Continue reading →

Christmas Cake Recipe

23 November 2016 ~ cozebakes ~ 2 Comments

This Christmas Cake Recipe is one I haven’t tried before, it was adapted from an Odlums booklet, but it’s very straightforward, it has lovely ingredients and it worked out perfectly. Can’t really ask for more than that! There’s very little skill needed in putting together a Christmas Cake. The preparation and baking times are the key to a successful result!

The ingredients are listed as usual but do take a look at my video on making this cake for alternatives to suit your own taste. Also there was a little blip regarding the brandy but it worked out really well so it will be up to you what way you proceed. Take a look at the video before starting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE8xFKTILyM – apologies if I go on a bit …. 😉

Continue reading →

Fruit Cake – Gluten Free

9 November 2016 ~ cozebakes ~ 2 Comments

This gluten free Fruit Cake can also be used as a Christmas Cake and is made in a 7″ / 18cm square tin which allows you to cut it into two loaf shaped cakes so you can keep one and give one as a gift. It will keep for one week, wrapped properly, so if it’s made several weeks before Christmas, freeze until it’s needed. Give it several hours at room temperature to defrost fully.

As it’s a gluten free recipe, this cake doesn’t result in as dense a cake as a standard one so it’s important to leave it sit until it’s really totally cooled down and then handle with care. The original recipe calls for sherry but I used an orange liquour and the smell is Ah May Zing! .

Just prepare your fruit the night before, then finish the cake the next day.

Surprise your coeliac friends and family with their very own wonderfully delicious Christmas cake!

Continue reading →

Barmbrack Recipe – Gluten Free option included

24 October 2016 ~ cozebakes ~ 2 Comments

Barmbrack is a traditional Irish fruit cake, not unlike a sweet bread and usually made at Halloween. It’s very similar to a tea brack but with the addition of whiskey. This recipe makes a really beautiful, moist loaf, packed with flavour from the mixed spice and dried fruit, which has soaked overnight in cold tea and whiskey. There is another version which includes yeast but I personally feel it’s not as moist as this one.

Notes for Gluten Free Barmbrack method in the recipe below

This is the gluten free version:

The fun in making a Barmbrack is deciding what surprises you’ll pop in for people to discover. The ring, the lucky coin, the not so lucky pea or piece of cloth! Let’s keep with the positive vibe and only put in positive charms! Just remember to wrap any additions very well in greaseproof paper! For me, there’s only one way to eat this …. thickly sliced with lashings of good Irish butter … oh and a cup of tea. Yes indeedeee 😉

Ideally try to make this recipe at least 1 or 2 days before you need it. It needs a little settling time to be perfect for slicing.

Continue reading →