Last Minute Christmas Cake
Preparation 40 MINS + overnight cooling
Cook SET TIME:2 1/2 HOURS
Serves 16
Method
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir over the heat for 3-4 mins until combined.
Add dried fruit, bicarbonate of soda, rum, cognac and 125ml water and stir well to combine. Increase heat to high and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium then cook for a further 4 mins without stirring. Remove from heat, cover and allow mixture to cool overnight.
Preheat oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan). Grease and line a 23cm square baking tin.
Add eggs to the cooled mixture and stir. Add flour and spices and stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 mins before spooning into the prepared tin and smoothing the surface.
Decorate the top of the cake with blanched almonds then bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Check your cake every hour to ensure it is not browning too quickly on top. If it is, cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before inverting to remove. To serve, brush with a little apricot jam that has been warmed in the microwave.
This cake can be stored for up to 3 months in the fridge – cover the cooled cake in 2 layers of plastic wrap and foil.
Ingredients
300g unsalted butter
420g dark brown sugar
3 x 375g Sunbeam Mixed Fruit
2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
250ml dark rum
125ml cognac
4 eggs, lightly whisked
400g wholemeal plain flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
200g Sunbeam Blanched Almonds
Apricot jam, to serve
Recipe Collection
Spice Roasted Cauliflower & Sunmuscat Sultana Dressing
Preheat oven to 220°C. In a large bowl, combine 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, sweet paprika, and smoked paprika. Stir well, add cauliflower, and toss to evenly coat.
Transfer cauliflower onto a baking paper lined oven tray. Bake 25 – 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden.
While the cauliflower is roasting, drizzle remaining 2 Tbsp oil into a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced shallot and cook for 5 – 7 minutes, stirring regularly, until shallots have started to turn golden.
Remove pan from heat, add capers, vinegar, honey, water, and Sunmuscat sultanas. Stir well, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss parsley through cooked cauliflower and transfer to a serving plate. Spoon dressing over top, sprinkle with walnuts or pine nuts to serve.
Chocolate & Hazelnut Meringue
- Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan-forced). Trace 3 x 15cm diameter circles on baking paper and place onto oven trays.
- Set aside half of the hazelnuts and finely chop remaining half.
- Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until firm peaks have formed. Gradually add sugar a little at a time until all has been incorporated and mixture is thick and glossy. Remove bowl from machine and gently fold in the chopped hazelnuts and cocoa with a large metal spoon, until just combined.
- Divide mixture between prepared oven trays, spreading it within each of the circles. Bake for 1 hour, then turn the oven off and allow meringues to cool in the oven.
- For the cream, whip the cream and sugar together until firm peaks form. Roughly squash half of the raspberries with a fork and fold into the cream.
- For assembly, place one meringue disc onto a serving plate, top with ⅓ of the cream. Repeat process using all meringues and finishing with cream on top. Decorate with remaining raspberries and reserved hazelnuts. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.
Spiced Lemon Cake
Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
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Place butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer, beat until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
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Fold in the sifted flour, almond meal, baking powder and spice alternately with the sour cream, mixing until well combined. Add lemon juice and rind, mixing well.
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Spoon batter into a greased and lined 20cm square cake pan. Sprinkle the pine nuts and currants over the top and bake for 40- 45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
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For the syrup: Place sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced, thick and syrupy. Remove cinnamon stick.
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Drizzle the syrup evenly over the cake, allowing it to be absorbed. Allow to cool in the pan for 1 hour. Serve cake pieces with a dollop of thick cream or yoghurt.
Walnut & Sultana Monkey Bread
Prepare the dough: The dough comes together with a mixer. You can also make the dough by hand, but it requires a bit of arm muscle. After the dough comes together in the mixing bowl, it’s time to knead. You can simply continue beating the dough with the mixer for this step or you can knead the dough by hand.
Let the dough rise: The dough rises in about 1-2 hours in a relatively warm environment.
Punch down the dough: Punch down the dough to release the air.
Shape & coat dough balls: Pull off little pieces of dough and roll into balls. Dunk the balls into melted butter, then coat with cinnamon sugar. Little bakers love to help out with this step! Good thing to note: the heavier the cinnamon-sugar coating, the more these little monkey bread bites will taste like gooey cinnamon rolls.
Let the shaped monkey bread rest for 20 minutes: Arrange the coated balls in a flat oven proof pan or a cast iron pan, cover lightly, then set aside to rest as you preheat the oven. The balls will slightly rise during this time.
Top with buttery brown sugar sauce: Before baking the monkey bread, mix melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract together. Stir in the nuts. Pour any remaining sauce sauce all over the dough balls.
Bake:
Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 40 minutes.
Invert onto serving plate: Allow the monkey bread to cool for 5-10 minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate.
Drizzle with vanilla icing: Whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Drizzle all over the warm monkey bread. Top with extra nuts
Spiced Lamb in Lettuce Cups
- Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and garlic, cooking for several minutes until tender. Add spices, cooking a further minute. Increase heat and add lamb mince, cooking until well browned.
- Add dates, pomegranate molasses, herbs and pinenuts. Mix well and season to taste.
- Spoon mixture between prepared lettuce cups. Drizzle with yoghurt and lemon juice, finishing with additional mint leaves.
Butter Chicken
1. Heat oil in a frying pan over low heat, add onion, ginger and garlic cooking for 3-4 minutes until tender. Stir in spices and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add almond meal and continue cooking a further minute. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a slow cooker.
2. Add the chicken to the slow cooker arranging in one layer and add the passata and water. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Stir in the cream and serve sprinkled with almonds and accompanied with rice and naan bread.
*For a faster cooking time, cook on High heat for 4 hours.
