Over the last two weeks I made a fruit cake, and quite a heavy one at that, it weighed over 3kg. The cake was about two thirds fruit, which meant that it had to be soaked in a casserole dish, as no other vessel in my kitchen was large enough to hold all the fruit. The recipe called for half a cup of rum, which I thought was a bit ridiculous, a feeling that was only strengthened after the fruit was in the dish, so I did the only reasonable thing and eyed probably an extra cup of rum. This was a decision I did not regret.
Once baked, I let the cake sit in a cupboard for eight days for two reasons. Firstly so that my family and I could enjoy the cake when we arrived on holiday, and secondly because fruit cake tastes better once it has been left to sit for a while. The flavours are deeper, the top of the cake is softer (especially after a liberal coating of rum or sweet sherry), and it on some level it just tastes better.
Yesterday I cut open the cake. Its not the most beautiful cake in the world and here it is:
