Paul Carmichael's great cake recipe (2024)

• 110 gm brown sugar (½ cup)
• 400 gm unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 400 gm dark brown sugar
• 100 gm black treacle
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 275 gm plain flour, sieved
• ½ tsp finely grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• Finely grated rind of 1 orange
• Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
• 250 ml dark rum
• 250 ml falernum (see note)

• 350 gm currants
• 300 gm raisins (2 cups)
• 300 gm pitted prunes, coarsely chopped (1¾ cups)
• 225 gm candied cherries, coarsely chopped
• 75 gm mixed peel
• 400 ml dark rum
• 200 ml ruby Port

Main

• 1

  For macerated fruit, mix fruit in a bowl, then transfer to a jar, pour in rum and Port, seal and set aside in a dark cool place, turning occasionally, for at least a week and up to a month. Blend fruit mixture in a food processor to a chunky paste when ready to use.

• 2

  To make burnt caramel, scatter brown sugar in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and stir occasionally so it melts evenly (3-5 minutes), then stir constantly to prevent too much burning until thick and caramelised (30 seconds to 1 minute). Remove from heat and add 125ml hot water (be careful, hot caramel will spit). Return to heat and stir until all the sugar has dissolved (1-2 minutes). Set aside to cool.

• 3

  Preheat oven to 140C. Butter a 26cm-diameter round cake tin and triple-line it with baking paper, extending sides 4cm above tin. Beat butter and dark brown sugar in an electric mixer with the whisk attachment fitted until light and fluffy (6-8 minutes). Add treacle, whisk to combine, then whisk in caramel. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is emulsified into the butter between additions. Add vanilla extract, then fold in flour, spices, rinds and 1 tsp salt, followed by fruit paste, then spoon batter evenly into prepared tin. Smooth top and bake in centre of oven until a cake tester or thin skewer inserted withdraws clean (4-4½ hours; the cake may still wobble when fully cooked). Remove cake fromoven, cool briefly, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely (2½-3 hours). Place in an airtight container and brush cake generously with equal parts rum and falernum; repeat brushing daily for at least a week. Cake will keep in an airtight container indefinitely.