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Slice of chocolate fruit cake with dried fruit and brandy syrup.

Rich Chocolate Fruit Cake with Brandy and Vanilla Syrup

Irene Muller
Two rich chocolate fruit cakes packed with dried fruit, gently spiced with cinnamon and finished with a brandy and vanilla syrup.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Global
Servings 2 medium cakes

Ingredients
  

Cake Dried fruit, butter, six eggs, brown sugars, flour, cocoa, brandy, water, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and bicarbonate of soda.

  • 250 g butter softened
  • 250 ml moist brown sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 560 ml cake flour
  • 180 ml cocoa powder
  • 7 ml bicarbonate of soda
  • 3 ml salt
  • 5 ml ground cinnamon
  • 1.5 kg fruit cake mix
  • 90 ml brandy

Brandy syrup

  • 80 ml water
  • 125 ml light brown sugar
  • 160 ml brandy
  • 5 ml vanilla essence

Instructions
 

Prepare the tins

  • Preheat the oven to 150°C. Grease two 20 cm cake tins well with butter.
  • Line the base and sides of each tin with three layers of baking paper. Cut an additional circle of baking paper to cover the batter in each tin.

Make and bake the cakes

  • Cream the softened butter and moist brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well.
  • Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl.
  • Stir the fruit cake mix and 90 ml brandy into the butter mixture. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix well, ensuring no pockets of flour remain.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins. Level the surfaces and cover each with a baking paper circle.
  • Bake for 30 minutes at 150°C. Reduce the oven temperature to 120°C and bake for a further 1½ hours, or until cooked through. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out without wet batter; check another spot if it goes through a piece of fruit.

Make the syrup and finish

  • Towards the end of baking, bring the water and light brown sugar to the boil in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the 160 ml brandy and vanilla essence.
  • Spoon the syrup evenly over both baked cakes while they are still in their tins. Leave in the tins for 20 minutes before carefully removing them.
  • Transfer to wire racks and cool completely to room temperature. Wrap the cooled cakes in foil.
  • If keeping the cakes to mature, moisten with a little brandy every week or two. Stop adding brandy a few days before serving.

Notes

Makes two 20 cm cakes. Total time excludes cooling and optional maturation. Bake for 30 minutes at 150°C, then 1½ hours at 120°C.
Serve in thin slices with tea or coffee, or with a spoonful of cream as a dessert. This recipe contains brandy, including brandy stirred into the syrup after cooking.
Ingredient image supplied by Irene Muller, illustrated via AI.
Keyword brandy syrup, chocolate fruit cake, Dried Fruit