Michelle Douglas – Secretly Fruity
Michelle Douglas is our featured author today – with a recipe for something I LOVE – Fruitcake! She’s also giving away a copy of her book The Secretary’s Secret!
RICH FRUIT CAKE
7 cups of mixed dried fruit
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup brandy or apple juice
250g butter
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 2/3 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
5 eggs
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons strawberry jam
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg and ground ginger
1/4 cup brandy or apple juice extra
Combine fruit and nuts in a bowl, pour brandy over, cover and stand overnight.
Grease a deep 20cm square cake pan. Line base and sides with 3 layers of greaseproof paper, bringing paper about 5cm above top edges of pan.
Beat butter, essence and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating only until combined between each addition. Stir in rind, juice and jam. Stir in sifted dry ingredients in 2 batches. Stir in fruit mixture and mix well.
Spreadmixture into prepared pan, and bake in slow over (150C/300F) for approximately 3 hours (or when a skewer comes out clean). Brush top of cake evenly with extra brandy. Cover with foil and let cool in pan overnight.
NB: Cake can be made 2 months ahead. Do let it mature for at least 2 weeks—but a month is better—before eating.
To win a copy of Michelle’s THE SECRETARY’S SECRET, leave a comment below! We’ll be posting a winner’s list when we run out of books, so check back often.
With one last look in the mirror, Kit Mercer prepares to face her boss—surely he can’t wait to sweep her into his arms again and declare his love?
Actually, what Alex Hallam does is tell her their fling can’t continue. He knows it’s the right thing to do—after his ex-wife’s lies, is he really ready for a relationship with sweet, lovely Kit?
Until Kit reveals she’s pregnant! Swapping the boardroom and working lunches for the baby clinic and wake-up feeds, they’ll get more than they bargained for…. Maybe even swapping their business contract for a marriage certificate!
51 Responses to Michelle Douglas – Secretly Fruity
Ooh this sounds like a good read. I love forbidden love stories.
I love forbidden love stories too, Marian, and I had a lot of fun writing this one.
I love fruitcake. This sounds like a wonderful recipe. Thank you for sharing it. I’ll be trying it as soon as I can.
As I am sure THE SECRETARY’S SECRET shows, a baby will change just about everything in a relationship.
I hope the release has gone well.
Have a great holiday season.
My husband loves fruitcake too, Librarypat,and he keeps asking me if we can sample it yet — maybe this weekend.
And, oh yes! Babies do change everything…as Kit and Alex learn!
Hi Michelle,
Your book sounds great and I love fruitcake. Thanks for the recipe/
Tammy Y, if you sample either, I hope you enjoy them!
Hi Michelle ~ This is a great sounding fruitcake recipe. My mom always soaked her fruit in brandy before she made her cakes. I helped her make them when she got older but when I tried to make them on my own they never turned out as marvelous as hers did.
The book sounds really great also.
Kaelee, a dear friend gave me this recipe when she found out I thought making fruitcake would be terribly difficult. She wanted to prove me wrong. I’ve been making it for 18 years now.
I have been a secretary/admin assistant/typist/data entry person for all of my career. My only other paying jobs were for babysitting and grass cutting as a teenager.
I definitely am interested in reading about your secretary’s secret, so to speak. “Note to self”: must read that book!
Thanks for sharing the recipe and the blurb. I look forward to trying both.
Laney4, I love secretary/boss stories — I hope you enjoy this one!
That said, I’m now wondering if I could now write “The Grasscutter’s Secret”?
Ah man….. I just lost my original comment and wonder if I can remember any of my former comment….
I think that book was called “Blade Runner” or something like that, LOL. Do you think you can “cut it”? You have to be “pretty sharp”.
I can’t think of anything “mower” to add, so I’ll bid you adieu.
Snort!
Very clever, Laney.
I love fruitcake, just don’t have any time to bake anymore
Oh, what ashame, Snookie! Still, there are some lovely store bought fruitcakes available now. Happy holidays!
This book sounds so goooooood !
Desere
Thanks, Desere!
Oh yummy. Its rather like the christmas cake recipe I use. I also make mincemeat pinwheels, but add more brandy to the jar of mincemeat 24 hours before making them. Good luck with the book xxx
Hmm, Kooky,those pinwheels sound particularly good. You might just have to share the recipe.
You have to have fruit cake for Christmas. I think it’s a rule. I wonder what THE SECRETARY’S SECRET is? I can see she is expecting.
Mary, my dh would certainly agree with you on the fruitcake front.
What’s the secretary’s secret? Ooh, am giving away no spoilers here.
I really like the sounds of the storyline in this book,and the cover is eye-catching also. Won’t be able to do your recipe this holiday but will keep it for next year as I haven’t made fruitcake in quite a few years. Thank you for sharing!
I like the cover too, Cheryl. And I hope you enjoy next year’s fruitcake!
This recipe is very similar to the one I made this year. I got the recipe from an old Delia Smith cookbook. I soaked my fruits in brandy overnight before baking, and I’m also dribbling a tablespoon of brandy over the cake every couple of days, just to keep it happy, hehe. I’ll be taking my first taste of the cake this evening and I can’t wait!
Congratulations on the release of your book!
Grace, a tablespoon of brandy a day may just keep me happy too.
Hope you enjoy your first taste this evening!
I’ve never had fruitcake. I like fruit. I like cake. I should like both together.
You most definitely should, MarcieR!
My father is about the only one that eats fruitcake in our family… Maybe I will make some for him this holiday! Thanks for sharing!
I’m sure he’d appreciate every slice all the more because you’d made it, Colleen. Happy holidays!
I love fruitcake, my mom makes it nearly every year.
You’re so lucky that your mom makes it most years, Summer. You should have a baking day with her, just so you can learn how to make it too! I love baking days with my mum, sister and niece.
Hi Michelle! Thanks for the fruit cake recipe! I will have to try it out since we love fruit cake. The Secretary’s Secret sounds like a must read. Thanks for the giveaway!
Oh, CathieP, what’s not to love about fruitcake? Happy holidays!
I am actually making a gluten-free fruitcake tomorrow and have been looking at recipes to guage fruit and nut ratios, What timing! My grandmother made fruitcake and fruitcake cookies. Still have those recipes but need to change em up without the wheat. I finally decided I had had enough Christmases without Nannie’s cake and cookies.
Looking forward to your next book.
Peace, Julie
Fruitcake cookies, Julie? Oh man, they sound delicious! I hope you enjoy your day of baking.
I am one of the few people I know that really likes a good fruitcake. This one sounds really tasty.
I have a wonderful recipe my grandmother used to make of FRUITCAKE FUDGE that is soooo good. It is rather coslly what with all that goes into it but all my friends love it. I would be happy to share the recipe with anyone who sends for a copy. It is too long to put in this blog. I would be happy to send a copy of it to all the readers.
My address is
JOY ISLEY
1020 E 3RD PLACE
MESA,AZ 85203
Oh, Joy, fruitcake fudge sounds divine. Sounds as if it should definitely be kept for special occasions, though.
And I meant to add, I will definitely be asking for that recipe.
Love fruitcake. My recipe calls for soaking fruits and nuts in brandy for two weeks. The house smells soooo good. This one is much simpler than my mothers and I will have to try it. Looking forward to discovering the secretary’s secret. Happy holidays.
Two weeks of soaking! Oh, my…am putting on weight as I read. Linda, this recipe is very simple…and very yummy. Happy holidays!
I was married for many years before I knew my husband liked fruitcake — I still don’t make it, but he buys some fruitcake ‘bricks’ every year. If I had my mother’s recipe for her fruitcake, I might make it — more ‘cake’ and not so much fruit. [ If I get ambitious I might try to make this recipe as it sounds good and not so difficult.
]
It’s not hard to make, Donna, but it does make a lot, so have a BIG mixing bowl handy.
Sounds like a fantastic cake!
I want to read your book!
Chey, I hope you try both the cake and the book — and that you love both!
Christmas fruitcake always tastes so much better than any other fruit cake. Will have to give yours a whirl, Michelle (any excuse for more cake *wink*). Always have to have Christmas cake handy for the munchkins to leave Santa – with a big glass of milk of course. Have already got your Australian January release marked in my diary so I don’t miss it
Glad to discover another Christmas cake lover, Anita!
LOL. No wonder Santa is so jolly and round. After all, it’d be rude to turn down fruitcake offered in such a spirit
Christmas cake has to be my all time favorite-thanks for sharing this recipe, Michelle and I love the premis of this book. ms
Margie, your welcome. If you try thr recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as my dh.
wow.. i love this recipe, always love fruit cake
your book sound great too, thanks for the recipe and chance to win this book
This sounds awesome!!!
I have a friend who posted a recipe for Tequila Christmas Cake. The recipe is as follows….
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 cup brown sugar
Lemon juice
4 large eggs
Nuts
1 bottle tequila
2 cups dried fruit. Sample the tequila to check quality.
Take a large bowl; check the tequila again… to be sure it is of the highest quality. Repeat.
Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point, it is best to make sure the tequila is still OK. Try another cup just in case.
Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eegs and add to the bowl and chuck iin the cup of dried fruit. Pick the fruit up off the floor. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit getas stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the tequila to test for tonsisticity. Next, sift 2 cups of salt, or something. Check the tequila.
Now shift the lemon ice strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 s and try not to fall over. Don’t forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window.
Finish the tequila and wipe the counter with the cat..
LOL! I hope you enjoy!!!!
Thanks for the recipe! My parents love Fruitcake and I’ve been wanting to make one that wasn’t too difficult and this one looks tasty. Thanks for the giveaway
I don’t like Fruitcake but I like cakes that have fruit in it such as my mom’s Apple Cake or a friend’s Pineapple (angel food) Pound Cake.
Michelle, the book seems really good especially with Alex’s trust issues.