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Genoa Cake (Italian Christmas Cake)

Dec-19-2016
Amrita Iyer
30 minutes
Prep Time
60 minutes
Cook Time
8 People
Serves
Read Instructions Save For Later

ABOUT Genoa Cake (Italian Christmas Cake) RECIPE

Genoa Cake as the name says comes from the city in Italy. This is a beautifully boozy,fruity and nutty cake which uses whatever preserved fruits you can get. This is a delicious fruit cake with lovely assorted fruits,brushed over with liquid jam and studded on the top with more preserved fruits.The fruits are like jewels encrusted on the cake and look beautiful when slices are cut from the cake.The jam helps the fruit stick and each slice has its own beauty! People living abroad have varied options to source preserved fruits as countries like USA and Canada import them from France and Italy and make their own especially the Florida mixed peel which is awesome in flavour!For people in India if you can source preserved fruits online then great!Or if you live in a metro where you have special import stores to source them or through sites like Booyah Chicago!You can make your own Orange Peel as well by preserving them in syrup.

Recipe Tags

  • Non-veg
  • Medium
  • Christmas
  • Italian
  • Dessert

Ingredients Serving: 8

  1. 125 gms unsalted butter/Refined Oil
  2. 125 gms powdered sugar/Caster Sugar
  3. 3 eggs – beaten
  4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  5. 1 tbsp grated Lemon zest
  6. 1 tbsp grated Orange zest
  7. 200 gms mixed preserved fruit/candied peel/tutti frutti (better if soaked in Rum or Brandy)
  8. 2 tbsp chopped dried Apricots
  9. 25 gms blanched Almonds
  10. 175 gms self raising flour, or
  11. 175 gms plain flour/all purpose flour/maida mixed with 2 tsp baking powder and sifted thrice
  12. 1 tsp powdered mixed spice
  13. 60 ml Contreau/Brandy/Rum
  14. Topping -
  15. 2 tbsp jam –( Apricot or Strawberry)
  16. 1 tbsp water
  17. Coloured Maraschino Cherries
  18. Preserved Pineapple slices
  19. Dried strawberry,cherry and kiwi slices

Instructions

  1. Heat Oven to 150°C.Prepare a loaf pan by either greasing and lining it with Parchment paper or greasing and sprinkling it with flour.You can use a baking spray as well.
  2. Combine the flour with the powdered mixed spice.Mix 1 tbsp flour with the fruit and 1 tbsp of chopped Almonds to be added in the cake.This ensures that the fruits do not sink to the bottom while baking.
  3. Melt the jam with the water to make a thick solution.Keep aside to cool.
  4. Combine the Butter/Oil and sugar and beat with an electric beater till pale and frothy.Add eggs 1 tbsp at a time beating well after each addition.
  5. Beat till the mixture increases to double the volume.Add the vanilla extract and lemon and orange zest.Mix well.
  6. Fold in the flour mixture 2 tbsp at a time till it is completely used up.Add the prepared fruits and fold again.Do not over mix.
  7. Spoon this mixture into the loaf pan and smooth the top.Tap the pan on a flat surface to remove any air bubbles.
  8. Bake for 60 minutes till a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.Cool in the tin for 10 minutes and loosen the sides of the cake.Remove when completely cool.
  9. Pierce the surface of the cake with a toothpick and spoon on the liqueur so as to fill the holes.I added 1/4 portion of maraschino syrup and 1/4 portion preserved pineapple syrup to 1/2 portion of White Rum.Leave for 10 minutes.
  10. Brush the top with the prepared jam mixture till completely covered.Decorate with the assorted preserved fruits and Almonds.
  11. Cut into slices and serve with tea or punch.Refrigerate the Cake in case you want to store it for a long time.Take out 2 hours before eating!

Reviews (3)  

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Anupama Kumari
Dec-20-2016
Anupama Kumari   Dec-20-2016

Awesome cake dear!

Padma I
Dec-19-2016
Padma I   Dec-19-2016

Beautiful

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