Festive Fruit Cake
Preparation 35 Minutes
Cook 120 Minutes
Serves 12
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C. Line the base and sides of a 20cm springform cake pan.
Mix nuts, dried fruits, glace cherries, peel in a bowl. Sift in flour, baking powder then stir in sugar. Lightly whisk eggs with vanilla, then stir into the cake mixture until well combined. Pour into pan. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack over a plate and remove baking paper. Pierce all over with a skewer. Drizzle with brandy, then wrap tightly in foil and leave in a cool, dry place for 2-3 days to mature.
For the topping: Soak fruit in Maple syrup, add boiling water to cover and let soften. Closer to serving, warm jam in a pan over low heat or in the microwave until runny. Arrange the maple-soaked fruits over the top of the cake in a decorative pattern, then brush with warm jam to set in place.
Ingredients
1 ½ CUPS (160g) Sunbeam Australian Walnuts, roughly chopped
1 CUP (110g) Sunbeam Australian Macadamias, roughly chopped
1 CUP (150g) Angas Park Pitted Dates, chopped
375g Sunbeam Mixed Fruit
100g Sunbeam Glace Cherries
½ CUP (55g) Angas Park Mixed Peel
⅔ CUP (100g) Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
150g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs, whisked
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp Brandy
Toppings
⅓ Cup Apricot jam
½ Cup Pure Maple Syrup
200g Angas Park Fruit Salad
Recipe Collection
Mini Choc Raisin & Hazelnut Puddings
- Preheat oven to 170ºC. Place raisins, sultanas and rum in a bowl and set to one side.
- Cream butter and brown sugar, until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Sift flours, mixed spice and cinnamon.
- Add breadcrumbs, finely chopped hazelnuts, chocolate, buttermilk, rum soaked fruit and butter mixture and mix well to combine.
- Prepare 8 pudding basins (200ml capacity): spray pudding basins with oil and line the bottom with baking paper.
- Divide evenly between prepared pudding basins.
Steaming Instructions
Place basins into a baking dish, and pour in enough boiling water to ½ fill the baking dish, cover with foil. Steam bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for a further 20 minutes.
Microwave Instructions
Cook in microwave on defrost setting (300W) for 15 minutes, check if a skewer inserted into pudding comes out clean. If not cooked, microwave at 5 minute intervals, until skewer comes out clean. Stand for 10 minutes before turning out. Repeat with remaining mixture. (Note: Do not use foil in microwave).
Christmas Casata
Soften 2 litres vanilla ice cream by leaving out of the freezer for 15 minutes while you chop, glacé cherries & Allens Raspberries.
Toast the slithered almonds in a dry pan till slightly brown, set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl add softened ice cream, start by stirring in the frozen raspberries to give ice cream raspberry ripples and colour. Then add all the remaining ingredients and stir till combined.
Choose a mould or tin to set the ice cream in and freeze for a minimum 4 hours to set.
Serve frozen.
Christmas Cake Gift Jar
As a gift idea
- Place flour in bottom of jar and add spices and bicarbonate of soda
- Pour in fruit and push down lightly
- Next place brown sugar and finish with slivered almonds.
- Attach a gift card with the following instructions:
YOU WILL NEED
250g butter, melted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup brandy
METHOD
- Preheat oven 150°C. Double line a 20cm round tin with baking paper
- Combine gift jar contents, butter, eggs and brandy and stir until combined
- Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour or until skewer inserted comes out clean.
Baked Brie with Fruit & Nuts
Soak dried fruit in maple syrup & hot water to coat for 15–20 mins until plump and sticky. The longer the soak the plumper the fruit gets.
Score the top of the brie (light cross-hatch), place on a baking dish or lined tray. Bake at 180°C for 10 mins, until soft and gooey.
Top with the soaked fruit mixture and a little extra maple syrup.
Serve warm with crusty bread & crackers
Ricotta & Apricot Loaf with Thyme
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line the base and sides of a 10 x 20cm loaf pan.
- Combine butter, eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk well. Add flour and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the ricotta, apricots and thyme. Spoon into prepared pan and sprinkle the top with almonds and thyme. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan.
Carrot & Sultana Tray Bake
1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line an 17 x 26cm baking tray.
2. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and oil. Add to the dry ingredients with the carrot and sultanas. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan and cook for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
4. For the icing, whisk together the cream cheese and honey. Spread over cooled cake and sprinkle with walnuts.