Ever wondered what makes an award-winning fruit cake?
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Doreen Peters knows a thing or two.
The Lithgow Show Society volunteer and exhibition entrant won at the Zone 12 rich fruit cake competition in Mudgee last November.
She was up against competitors from Baradine, Binnaway, Coonabarabran, Dunedoo, Gulgong, Lithgow, Mendooran, Mudgee, Rydal, Rylstone and Kandos in the group 12 final.
"It was an honour to win with all those people involved," she said.
Now she's back to the kitchen perfecting her cake for the 2020 Sydney Royal Easter Show.
"The fruit cake has to be entered at the Sydney Royal the same day as Lithgow Show, so I'm very busy preparing entries for both shows," she said.
Mrs Peters said all entrants used the same recipe and it all came down to pure luck.
"You've got to stick to the recipe, cut fruit all to a similar size, put it in the oven and cross your fingers," she said.
She said it was a trial and error process.
"I make it until I get it right," she said.
She also said it came down to the judges opinion and what appeals to them on the day of judging.
Mrs Peters said it takes her one evening just to cut the fruit while she watches TV.
"I cut it then let it soak and make the rest the next day, it takes just over three hours to bake," she said.
She said she loved to make fruit cake for any occasion.
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"I make it every year for the show and I've also got a family that enjoys eating fruit cake, they love my fruit cake," she said.
Being her first entry in the Sydney Royal, Mrs Peters said she hoped to do well.
"I don't think Zone 12 has ever won in the cake competition so it would be good," she said.
Mrs Peters said she already had her fruit cakes made for the Sydney Royal and Lithgow Show and she urged people to enter more into the local show.
"I'm doing three or four entries in Lithgow Show. Everybody should enter something they can cook.
"Bring it down and enter it because it makes the show interesting and you can compare yours to someone else's.
"If there is a fault then you can improve on it next year," she said.
Fruit cake recipe
- 250g ea. sultanas, chopped raisins and currants
- 125g chopped mixed peel
- 90g ea. chopped almonds, chopped red glazed cherries
- 1/3 cup sherry or brandy
- 60g self-raising flour
- 250g plain flour
- 1/2 tsp. grounded clovers
- 1/4 grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. grounded ginger
- 250g butter
- 250g brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ea. vanilla, almond and lemon essence
- 4 large eggs
Method:
- Mix together all fruit and nuts, sprinkle with sherry, cover and leave for four hours or preferably over night
- Sift together flour and spices, cream together with butter, sugar and essences
- Add eggs one at a time to the mix, beating well after each addition then alternatively add fruit and flour to the mixture
- Mix thoroughly ensuring mixture is stuff enough to support a wooden spoon
- Place mix into prepped tin no larger than 20cm
- Bake in slow oven for 3 and 1/4 hours
- Allow to cool in tin
- To ensure unity of the cake ensure raisins are snipped in in 2-3 pcs, cherries 4-6 pcs and almonds 3-4 pcs.
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