Come along to this TWO PART class as Angela McEllin teaches you how to make the Traditional Boozy Irish Holiday Fruit Cake. You can choose to make 1 large or 3 smaller fruit cakes (perfect if you’re coming as a duo- you can rock paper scissors for the extra cake!)
If you have never had Irish Fruit Cake before, you are in for a real treat. We generally start soaking the dried fruit in advance (anything from a couple of weeks to several months - or even years if you’re really dedicated!) Then we bake the cakes and spend the next few weeks ‘feeding’ (read boozing) the cakes with whatever spirit you prefer- generally whiskey or brandy or Angela’s favorite- Jamaican Rum. Once the cake is nice and drunk (sozzled) it’s ready to be covered and decorated. Delicious on it’s own or served with brandy butter, custard or chantilly cream, you can’t go wrong eating fruit cake; we even know someone that loves to lightly toast it, spread a little orange marmalade and a slice of sharp Irish Cheddar on top and then pop it under the broiler until the cheese is nice and bubbly. You’ll have more than enough cake to experiment with your favorite way of serving and still be able to share it with your friends and family! Once covered, boozy fruit cake can literally last years- look up the 106 year old piece found in Antartica if you don’t believe me!
During the first class you will make and bake your cake and while it’s baking you’ll make homemade marzipan (to cover your cake after it’s been sozzled for a few weeks) and create some decorations to adorn your completed cake. Traditionally, Irish Fruit Cakes are covered in a thin layer of marzipan and then frosted using royal icing, but you can choose to make homemade marshmallow fondant instead.
Once your cakes are baked you’ll go home with them and enough booze to sozzle them for the next few weeks- all part of the fun! Then you’ll come back for part two where we’ll cover our cakes with marzipan and either royal icing or homemade fondant and then decorate our cakes ready for the holidays. Plus, you’ll get to nibble your way through Angela’s cake while you work. If you’ve never made Boozy Fruit Cake before, this is the class for you!
*Non Boozy option also available- we soak the fruit (and feed the baked cake) in Irish Tea with a selection of holiday spices. For the Boozy option, you can choose fruit that’s been steeped in either Irish Whiskey, Brandy or Jamaican Rum.
This is a perfect class to do as a Dynamic Duo/Friend’s Day Out/Date Night and you can BYOB (Please drink responsibly.)