***MILESTONE BAKE!***
I can't believe I've finally got to my one hundredth bake! When I started this project, I imagined it all being done by now, but two babies came along and my spare time dwindled. However, when I talk about my baking to others, they are invariably shocked and impressed that I've produced so many different bakes, and I suppose it is a pretty big deal when you think about it. That said, I'm still under half way, so plenty more to do, and some complicated things to attempt in the process.
This was another of my 'child friendly' choices, although I prepared the fruit by myself beforehand. I made sure I took extra care with the drying of both the pineapple and the cherries, and got though lots of kitchen roll in a bid to ensure the cherries didn't all sink to the bottom. Unfortunately, I didn't have the right quantity of sultanas in the cupboard, so I topped up with raisins (I'd considered using more cherries, but thought this would be too much of a deviation in flavour from what was intended). Next time though, I'd use just sultanas, as the raisins at the edge of the loaf caught a bit and became tough, spoiling the flavour in places.
Apart from fiddling about with the fruit to start with, the recipe was very straightforward, and easy to bake as well. I reduced the baking time a bit and kept an eye on the colour/checked with a skewer, so it was cooked perfectly, I think. I seem to have got the measure of the oven now, and also have more confidence to trust when things are 'done', to stop them going over. It smelt delicious and looked great - a lovely golden colour and packed full of fruit.
We couldn't wait to try some, so had a botched attempt at slicing a warm cake, but it was worth it to experience the tastiness. The recipe suggested keeping it in the fridge once cooled: because of the fruit content and its moistness, there's a risk of it going mouldy. Storing it that way also meant that it was really easy to slice; it didn't dry it out at all either, so it kept well for about four days.
Baker's verdict: easy to make and worth the effort with the fruit. Absolutely delicious and one of the best fruit cakes I've made so far.
Husband rating: 8.5 - probably one of the best fruit cakes I've had. The middle parts were the tastiest.
I decided to make this as a bit of a Fathers' Day treat for my dad, who, as I've mentioned before, loves cherries in cakes. It also contains ground almonds, for that bakewell flavour he likes. Aside from the initial fiddling about rinsing and drying the cherries, it was a very straightforward bake. I decided to use the tried and tested method of putting some flour in with the cherries to help them to stop sinking to the bottom of the cake, and this worked well. I tested the cake ahead of time with a skewer to make sure I didn't over-bake it, but it did turn out a bit dry. This may have been because of it being a hot day and it being left out on the side for longer than it needed perhaps, but it wasn't excessively dry.
