The "Almost Too Late for Christmas" Christmas Cake

Anyone who makes, or even just really likes, Christmas Cake knows that it should be make a couple of weeks in advance! Yes, well indeed! Seems like time got away with me again! Anyway, I was going to skip the Christmas Cake this year except that child number one asked if we were going to have some this year, then he asked again. Since I have a family of Christmas Cake eaters, I figured, why not... need to improvise and make a fruit cake that does not need as much time to ripen.

I've made a variation of this one before, it had a tendency to be a little dry, but I think I've solved that problem. Brandy! Lots of Brandy!

This is far from a traditional fruit cake, mainly because there  is not a huge amount of fruit and that there is chocolate in it. This year, I tweaked it again and added some chopped chocolate covered almonds. Got that idea from a cake I saw in Martha Stewart magazine. I mean really, how could that not be good?

After the cake has been baked and cooled. Turn out onto a cutting board and cut into either eight or nine small bricks of cake. 

Wrap each piece of cake  in a brandy-soaked piece of cheesecloth and then wrap in parchment (or wax) paper. I warm the brandy slightly and dip the cut piece of cheesecloth right into it. Squeeze gently, you don't want to squeeze all the brandy out, it should be wet.

Pour more brandy onto the cheesecloth-wrapped chunk of cake, remember, this keeps it nice and moist.

Then wrap each chunk in tin foil and store in a cool place for a minimum of a week. Eat as desired, share only with those who love Christmas Cake...!

Chocolate Pecan Fruitcake
5 cups mixed peel
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
4 oz unsweetened chocolate - finely chopped
4 oz semisweet chocolate - finely chopped
1 cup chocolate covered almonds - roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups golden raisins
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature) 
1 cup granulated sugar
6 eggs
3/4 cup brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the mixed peel, raisins, pecans, chocolate and almonds. Add a quarter cup of the flour and mix gently. Combine the remaining flour in a bowl with the baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly. Stir in a 1/4 cup of the brandy and vanilla extract. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until well blended.  Stir in the fruit/chocolate mixture. 


Pour into a 9x13 inch pan (this will fill the whole pan, it does not rise really) and smooth with a spatula. I line the pan with parchment paper, but you can spray it with Pam or other baking spray.


Bake at 300 Fahrenheit for 1 and 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan (sitting on a cooling rack).