Cherry Marmalade Fruit Cake and the Holidays Baking Frenzy

It's that time of the year again...time when supermarkets bring out their baking goods display right at the entrance to tempt us into baking . You can find anything ..say from the plastic gingerbread spatula to candied green cherries ...and speaking of glazed cherries...it is also the time for fruit cakes . Fruit cakes, the quintessential  holiday cake ...raise your hand if the mere mention of it  rings back childhood memories of feasting on them or helping your mom beat the eggs in order to bake one ..fruit cakes for me takes me back to my convent school days , when they were given as a  Christmas treat complete with Christmas carols playing on the intercom.

No, I don't have the recipe for that particular fruit cake of my childhood , though it wouldn't hiurt to be in the possession of it .. purely for sentimental value. Enough of a trip down memory lane...coming back to the fruit cake mentioned in this blog ...This particular one does not require any pre soak , so if you are like me and end up doing things at the last possible moment , this  recipe is for you . Just make sure that apart from the usual baking ingredients , you also fetch some glazed cherries or canned ones, raisins and marmalade when you make the hurried trip to the grocery store. Without any more delay , here is the ingredient list...might come in handy on your visit.

Ingredients-
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/4 cup quartered dried glazed Cherries
1 tbsp orange marmalade

Special Notes about Fruit Cakes - (make sure you read them)

Always coat your fruits with all purpose flour otherwise they will just sink to the bottom and you won't get them in a uniform manner in the cake.

Always bake them at lower temperatures for longer duration.

Method -

Drain the cherries from the sugar syrup , wash and dry well.We don't need it be wet and heavy otherwise it will just sink to the bottom of the cake.

Coat the dried cherries and raisins in all purpose flour (refer to notes above )

Also, as I like to remind my kids, the very first thing you do is pre heat your oven ..Did you really read the notes above? Good..so you know...that we 'll be baking this cake  at lower temperature ...320 degrees F .

Cream the butter and sugar together . remember the butter need to be at room temperature . Now add the eggs one at a time (also at room temperature . Beat well and then add the marmalade.

Now add the flour containing the cherries and raisins and just fold it in . Do not over beat  after adding the flour mixture.

Transfer to a well greased pan and bake for at least an hour . Cook on a wire cooling rack and glaze with marmalade if you so desire. Enjoy warm in the company of loved ones !