This fragrant floral fruit cake incorporates flower essences and Jordan almonds along with all the usual fruit and alcohol ingredients.
It has all those things that make fruit cakes so darn wonderful.
Something a bit different
This year, I wanted to make a Christmas fruit cake that was a little different. There are so many recipes for fruit cakes, and Nana Ling has dozens in her recipe books alone.
The variations are endless – from boiled to eggless, mini, dark and light – and there are various methods, tricks and tips.
But I wanted something I hadn't come across before.
As usual, Nana Ling delivered just what I was after.
Bingo!
As my daughter Miss Z says, "Nana Ling has a recipe for everything!"
Floral Fruit Cake
A Christmas Cake recipe with rose water, orange blossom water and Jordan almonds. Lovely!
I had to do some research on Jordan almonds, which turned out to be what I know as sugared almonds or candy almonds. You know, the coloured almonds people often used in a bomboniere at weddings?
Jordan almonds don't get their name from the country, as I first thought. Instead, it's thought to be a corruption of the French word for garden, "jardin", the place where the almonds were grown.
In keeping with the floral theme I could see in this recipe, I decorated the top in a flower pattern, using the Jordan almonds and a few glace cherries.
Sourcing the ingredients
Jordan almonds, better known now as sugared almonds, can be found at wedding supply stores, specialty confectionary stores and middle eastern grocers.
Rose water and orange blossom water can be found at large supermarkets in the international section, middle eastern grocers, organic or health food stores.
The remaining ingredients are all fairly standard and you should have no trouble sourcing these ingredients.
Nana Ling's Floral Fruit Cake recipe
Keep scrolling for the tested and tweaked version.
Floral Fruit Cake
Ingredients
- 455 grams butter
- 455 grams caster sugar
- 10 eggs
- 570 grams plain flour (also known as all-purpose flour)
- 455 grams raisins
- 455 grams sultanas
- 225 grams currants
- 115 grams mixed peel
- 200 grams glace cherries (halved)
- 50 grams Jordan almonds (sugared almonds)
- 1 teaspoon rose water (plus a little extra for brushing cake after cooking)
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water (plus a little extra for brushing cake after cooking)
- 1 tablespoon rum (plus a little extra for brushing cake after cooking)
- 1 tablespoon sherry (plus a little extra for brushing cake after cooking)
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees celsius (fan-forced).
- Line a large round cake tin with 3 layers of baking paper.
- Beat butter until light and pale coloured.
- Add a few spoonfuls of flour and combine.
- Add sugar gradually while beating on low speed. Beat well once all sugar has been added.
- Beat 3 eggs and add to mixture. Beat to combine.
- Beat another 3 eggs and add to mixture. Beat to combine.
- Beat 4 remaining eggs and add to mixture. Beat to combine.
- Add fruit (keeping 4 halved glace cherries), spices, alcohol and essences and stir well to combine.
- Add sifted flour gradually, stirring well to combine.
- Pour mixture into the lined cake tin.
- Decorate top with flower pattern, using the Jordan almonds as petals and the glace cherries you've set aside as the middle part of the flower.
- Bake for 2 ½ -3 hours.
- Remove from oven and brush top of cake (avoiding almonds) with a little extra alcohol and essences.
- Wrap in a clean tea towel and allow to cool.
Madeleine says
I love the sound of this fruit cake. "Floral Fruit Cake." I must admit I went a little weak at the knees when I saw the sugared almonds. I remember damaging a tooth as a result of eating, or should I say endeavoring to eat one of those. But, seeing it's decorative....OK. Hmmm, not a great fan of mixed peel, again, lemon and a little orange to the rescue. Also thinking of adding a few slivered almonds to the mix. I can't help myself, always a possibility of me tinkering. 😀
PS: Love your website and the recipes from your Nana.
Libby says
Hi Madeleine. Thanks for your lovely comments about the website. Yes, the almonds make it look very pretty but I guess I'm not a huge fan of them either. I always loved the look of them though and remember the days when everyone would have them at weddings. My mum is also not a huge fan of mixed peel but like you say you can easily substitute. I totally love tinkering with recipes too, it's part of the fun to get a little creative and make things just as you like them 🙂 Happy cooking and thanks again for commenting. Libby