Christmas Mud Cakes with Chocolate Ganache
Preparation 20 Minutes
Cook 25 Minutes
Serves 12
Method
- Preheat oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan-forced). Line 12 x ⅓ cup capacity muffin pans with paper cases.
- Place mixed fruit into a food processor with boiling water and blend to a fine paste. Transfer to a large saucepan with butter, chocolate, milk and brown sugar. Place over a medium heat and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until the butter and chocolate has melted.
- Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer (or you can transfer to a clean bowl and use a hand mixer) and whisk in the eggs. Add flour mixture, cocoa, mixed spice and a generous pinch of salt. Mix until the batter is thick and smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared cases and smooth the surface. Bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool.
- Heat cream until hot and pour over chocolate. Mix until smooth and desired consistency achieved. Spread over mud cakes.
Ingredients
3/4 cup pure cream
300g SUNBEAM Mixed Fruit
1 tbsp boiling water
250g unsalted butter, chopped
200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
330mL milk
⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1¾ cups plain flour, whisked with ½ tsp baking powder
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 tsp mixed spice
Sea salt
Ganache
¼ cup thickened cream
110g dark chocolate, chopped
Recipe Collection
Choc Date Balls
- Place the dates, sultanas and oats in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pureed.
- Gently warm the coconut oil and honey in the microwave until oil is liquid. Add to the date mixture with the cacao, water and orange rind. Mix well.
- Roll teaspoonsful into balls and roll in pepitas. Refrigerate until required.
Layered Caramel Cake with Christmas Fruit Cream
Step 1: In a medium bowl soak Sunbeam fruit with orange rind, maple syrup & boiling water for 2 hours.
Step 2: Caramel Ganache. In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the caramilk chocolate and 400ml of cream to form a ganache. Once melted and well combined, stir and set aside to cool. Once the caramilk ganache has cooled, whip with a hand blender till firm.
Step 3: Fruit Cream. Remove orange rind and drain fruit of any excess liquid. Set liquid aside as you will use this later. In a large bowl whip 400ml cream, corn flour and All Spice until firm. Add fruit mix to cream and stir through.
Step 4: Assemble. Cut your sponge cake into halves so you have 4 pieces to form 4 layers. On each layer of the cake spread 2-3 tablespoons of the caramilk ganache followed by 2-3 tablespoons of the fruit cream mix – spread evenly and layer your cake.
Garnish with any leftover ganache and cream and top with seasonal fresh fruits.
White Christmas
Melt chopped white vegetable shortening.
Combine rice bubbles, coconut, sifted icing sugar, powdered milk and chopped fruit, mix well.
Add melted shortening and mix thoroughly.
Press mixture into lightly greased and paper lined 28cm x 18cm x 7cm lamington tin.
Refrigerate until firm, cut into bars for serving.
Classic Christmas Pudding
- Combine fruit, brandy, rinds and apple. Cover and set aside overnight or for at least 2 hours.
- Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, beat in golden syrup. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
- Combine breadcrumbs, flour, spices and almonds. Add creamed butter mixture and soaked fruit, mixing well to combine.
- Grease a 2 litre capacity pudding basin, line the base with a double layer of baking paper.
- Spoon mixture into the basin and smooth top. Double line the top with baking paper rounds.
- Take a 60cm long piece of baking paper and 60cm piece of foil, layer and fold in half, make a 3cm pleat in the middle (this allows for any expansionof the pudding). Place sheets over pudding and secure tightly with string. Place a wire rack onto the base of a large saucepan, fill one third with water and bring to boil. Carefully place pudding onto wire rack making sure the water level comes about halfway up pudding basin. Cover and simmer for 6 hours, replenish water when needed.
- Remove from water, stand for 10 minutes before turning out. Serve cut into slices with cream and maple syrup.
Pumpkin Fruit Cake
Preheat oven to 160⁰C. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin.
- Bring to the boil mixed fruit, sugar, syrup, butter and apricot nectar, stirring all the time and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add bicarbonate of soda. Allow mixture to cool.
- Add eggs and pumpkin. Beat till smooth. Then add flours and mix well to combine.
- Place in tin and bake for 90 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Fancy Fruit and Nut Cake
Preheat oven to 150°C
- Grease a standard loaf tin (21 x 13cm or larger). Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 6cm above rim to form a collar.
- Coarsely chop half the nuts, glacé fruit and cherries and place in a large bowl (reserve the remainder of each for topping). Add raisins and dates and stir to combine.
- Sift flours and cinnamon, then stir 1⁄4 cup into the fruit mixture.
- Beat eggs, sugar, 2 tablespoons of brandy and rind together until light. Add remaining flour and stir to combine, then fold through fruit mixture. Spoon into prepared tin/s and press down with back of a spoon.
- Cut remaining glacé fruits into quarters. Press gently on top of cake along with whole nuts and whole cherries.
- Cover top of cake with paper bag or baking paper, resting on the collar. Bake large cake for 11⁄2-13⁄4 hours or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin.
- Place apricot conserve and remaining brandy in a small saucepan. Simmer, stirring for 3 minutes. Strain, then brush over cake. To serve, cut into thick slices.
