Quick Fruited Tea Cake

 

Today was a really busy day.  I made the filling for my Christmas Tortiere, and the pastry, filled and baked them.  I did my cabbage rolls as well (more on them at a later date), tidied the house for Christmas, made sure all the laundry was done, hung and drying in the spare room, and I am E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D!  Whew!  I need a break and what better way to enjoy a breakd than sitting down to a tasty slice of cake!

 This is one of my favourite indulgences to enjoy with a nice hot cuppa and my feet up!  Its a simple and easy cake and I am betting you have everything you need in the house to bake it right now!

 

It uses a quantity of mincemeat . . .  I use homemade, but you might want could use store brand if you wanted to.  I like my homemade because it is filled with lovely bits of apricot and prunes . . .  I love a cake with apricots and prunes in it don't you?

 

This is the type of cake our grandmother's would have baked.  Over here it might have been served in late afternoon for tea, with some bread and butter, maybe some jam, and steaming hot cups of tea!  I can just picture it now.

 

Everyone sitting around the table munching away and chattering about the day they have just had.  This is one of those cakes that just gets better with each day that passes.  I dare say it would even be quite tasty thinly sliced and buttered . . .

 

Its a great way to use up the last of that mincemeat languishing away in the back of the refrigerator if you will . . .  but if you are like me, you always keep a jar or two of mincemat in the cupboard because its not just for Christmas you know . . .

 

Buttery, dense and deliciously moist, stogged full of bits of fruit and lightly spiced, this cake pleases on many levels!

 

When I sat down with this I felt a bit like Goldilocks when she sat down in the last chair and uttered with a smile . . .  this is JUST right!

 

*Quick Fruited Tea Cake*

Makes 1 9-inch round cake

Printable Recipe 

This is a great last minute cake.  Its nice for christmas, but actually its pretty special any time!  A real teatime treat! 

175g butter (3/4 cup)

100g light muscovado sugar (1/2 cup packed)

3 large free range eggs, beaten

225g self raising flour (1 1/2 cups, plus 2 TBS)

300g  mincemeat (1 1/3 cups)

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

pinch ground cloves

pinch ground cardamom

1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon and ginger 

To finish:

 icing sugar to dust

 

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.  Butter and line a 9 inch round cake tin with baking paper.  Set aside. 

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the mincemeat.  Beat in the eggs, a bit at a time, until all are combined. Sift together the flour and spices.  Fold this mixture thoroughly into the creamed mixture. It will be fairly thick.  Spread into the prepared cake tin. 

Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown and the top springs back lightly. It might even be slightly cracked on top, and a toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean.  Let sit in the cake tin for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.  Dust with icing sugar to serve.  Break out the tea pot! 

 

I know you probably have about a bazillion other things you are baking at the moment, but do make note of this for future reference.  It is a cake you will not want to miss out on!  Bon Appetit and Happy Holidays!