Irish Porter Cake
A spiced, Irish fruitcake made with porter ale or stout. This spiced cake makes a festive addition to any Christmas or St. Patrick's day spread.
Ingredients
- 450 g mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants, cranberries, cherries, etc) 3 cups
- zest and juice of 2 oranges
- 50 g candied citrus peel, chopped ¼ cup
- 350 ml porter ale or stout 1½ cups
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp mixed spice see note
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 500 g all-purpose flour 4 cups
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened 2 sticks
- 225 g light brown sugar 1 cup packed
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Add the dried fruit, orange zest, candied peel, orange juice, and porter to a bowl. Stir to combine and then cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add the mixture to a medium-sized saucepan on the stove. Turn the heat on medium and bring it to a boil. Once it has reached a boil, turn off the heat and pour the fruit and liquid into the bowl it had previously been soaking in. Let it cool to just about room temperature before mixing the rest of the cake.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and beat on medium speed until it is light and fluffy. Then, add in the brown sugar and beat until well-combined. Beat the eggs in one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Mix in the dry ingredients, adding in a couple of additions so that it doesn't fly everywhere when you turn on the mixer. The batter will be dry and hard to work at this point.
- Stir in the fruit and its soaking liquid into the batter. This may take some time to work it all the way through the batter. The end result should be a wet, scoopable cake batter.
- Spoon the batter into a 9 inch (23 cm) springform cake pan that is lined with parchment paper and greased. Press it down gently and flatten the top so that it is evenly spread throughout the pan.
- Bake for 50 minutes in a 325℉ / 160℃ pre-heated oven, or until the internal temperature is 185℉ / 85℃.
- Remove the cooled cake from the pan and serve it immediately, or place the cake in an airtight container for 2-3 days to deepen the flavors.
Notes
Mixed Spice: a UK spice blend. You can create the mix at home by combining 1 tbsp ground allspice, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp ground nutmeg, 2 tsp ground mace, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground coriander, and 1 tsp ground Ginger. Store in a closed jar and used for other British baked goods such as hot cross buns and soul cakes.