Hummingbird Christmas Cake

Preparation 20 Minutes

Cook 35 Minutes

Serves 8

Method

Preheat 170ºC (150ºC fan).  Grease and line 2 x 17cm round cake tins.

Combine flour, sugar, coconut, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a large bowl.  Make a well in the centre, add fruit and vegetables, lime zest, nuts, Angas Park Fruit Medley, oil, eggs and salt, stirring until combined.  Divide evenly among the two pans then bake for 35 mins.  Allow to cool completely in tins before turning out.

To make icing, in a stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer) beat together the cream cheese, butter, coconut essence and lime juice, then, with motor running, gradually add icing sugar 1 tbsp at a time until fully incorporated.

To assemble, spread icing onto the top of one cake, top with the second cake and spread icing on top.  Arrange flowers, Angas Park Fruit Salad and extra cashews on top, to decorate.

Ingredients

200g self-raising flour

150g caster sugar

65g desiccated coconut

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp mixed spice

330g crushed pineapple in natural juice

1 small banana, mashed

1 small carrot, grated

150g roasted sweet potato flesh (about 2 sweet potatoes)

1 small zucchini, grated

Zest of 1 lime

80g Sunbeam Raw Cashews, plus extra to decorate

200g Angas Park Fruit Medley

140ml coconut oil

3 eggs

Pinch of sea salt

Australian native flowers and Angas Park Fruit Salad, to decorate

CREAM CHEESE ICING

375g cream cheese, room temperature

120g cultured butter, room temperature

150g icing sugar, sifted

Natural coconut essence, to taste

Juice of 1 lime

Recipe Collection

Baby Spring Vegetables

Preheat oven to 180ºC.

  1. Place the carrots and corn in a large pot of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes or until almost tender. Add asparagus and zucchini and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well and place in serving dish.
  2. Combine butter, apricots, Brazil nuts and chives in a saucepan and cook until nuts have begun to brown. Pour over cooked baby vegetables and toss to coat. Serve.

Almond Mandarin Cake

  1. Put the whole mandarins in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 45 minutes or until tender when tested with a skewer, topping up water as necessary. Drain, cool to room temperature, cut in half and remove any pips.
  2. Preheat oven to 160°C and line the base of a lightly greased 20cm springform cake pan with baking paper.
  3. Blend the cooled mandarins, eggs and sugar in a food processor until well combined. Add the almond meal, baking powder and orange blossom water (if using) and pulse until combined.
  4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Macadamia and Cacao Balls

  1. Blend or process dates until smooth
  2. Combine macadamia meal, cacao and dates in a bowl.
  3. Use wet hands to roll tablespoons of mixture in balls. Roll in coconut.

Spiced Chicken Pilaf

  1. Toss chicken with spices and a small drizzle of the oil. Heat half the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes each side until golden and just cooked through. Allow to cool slightly, then break into pieces. Set aside.
  2. Add remaining oil to pan and cook onion and garlic for several minutes until tender. Stir in rice with stock and bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, partially covered.
  3.  Add chicken pieces, zucchini and currants to pan, cooking a further 3-4 minutes. Serve sprinkled with almonds and coriander. Accompany with yoghurt and lemon wedges.

Beef Crostini Sunmuscat Relish

This appetiser is nice way to begin a Christmas meal.

For the relish. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add shallots, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add Sunmuscats, port, vinegar, chilly, and thyme sprig. Raise heat to medium-high, and simmer until thickened, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly. stir in chopped thyme, celery, salt, and pepper.

To serve, combine mayonnaise and mustard, and spread about 2 teaspoons on each slice of baguette. Top with a slice of beef, season with salt, and top with 1 teaspoon sunmuscat-port relish. Garnish with micro herbs.

Sunbeam Christmas Cake

Soak fruit overnight in brandy, if you warm the brandy it infuses faster and you can soak for a few hours instead of overnight.

Place soaked fruit, water, butter, maple syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil then remove from heat and add bicarbonate of soda mixed with one tablespoon boiling water. Cool for 15 minutes.

Add lightly beaten eggs, mixing thoroughly. Fold in sifted flours, spices and vanilla essence.

We used a 21cm bundt tin. Bake at 160°C for 75 to 90 minutes. Cool in tin.

Decorate with Caramel glaze and Sunbeam flake almonds.

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