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Sunbeam Traditional Fruit Cake

Preparation 30 mins plus overnight soaking

Cook 3 hours

Serves 12

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Method
Ingredients

Method

You will need a 21cm round tin for this recipe (base measurement)

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.
Preheat oven to 160ºC. We used a 21cm bundt tin. Spoon batter into the prepared tin, using a spatula to smooth the surface. Bake for up to 75 to 90 minutes or until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the centre. Allow cake to cool in the tin for an hour then invert onto a cooling rake to remove. Allow to cool completely.

TIP: Liquor can be substituted with flavoured syrup or orange juice.

Optional cinnamon burnt buttercream: Heat 500g butter in a large frypan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until a deep golden colour. Pour the butter and milk solids into a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until hard. Remove burnt butter from fridge for 1 hour to soften then add 250g of the butter to a stand mixer and beat for 4-5 mins until creamy. Add 320g sifted icing sugar mixture, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 2 tbsp milk and beat for a further 6 mins or until light and fluffy.

Ingredients

500g Sunbeam Bake Fruit Blend for Cake

1 cup brandy

1 cup water

125g butter

2 tbsp S&W Maple syrup

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp boiling water

2 x eggs

1 cup self raising flour

1 cup plain flour

½ tsp mixed spice

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla essence

Recipe Collection

Quick and Easy Christmas Pudding

Place fruit and brandy in microwaveable bowl and heat for 1 minute or until warmed through. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift flour and mixed spice over butter mixture, then stir in breadcrumbs and fruit mixture. Mix well.
Grease and flour a 1.5L microwaveable bowl. Spoon mixture into bowl and smooth top. Cover with a pleated, double-layer of baking paper secured with kitchen string.
Cook in microwave on defrost setting (300W) for 30 minutes, rotating the bowl after 20 minutes. Test with a skewer inserted into pudding. If it doesn’t come out clean, microwave at 5 minute intervals until done. Leave pudding to stand for 10 minutes before turning onto a plate. Serve with custard.

Burnt Honey and Macadamia Semifreddo

Line a 2L freezer-safe container with baking paper.
In a small saucepan melt butter. Add honey and cook for a further 2 mins until foamy and golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Combine all eggs, vanilla, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer, place bowl over the top and constantly beat for 6-8 mins (using an electric beater) or until the mixture is thick and pale. Remove from heat, beat in the burnt honey mixture then allow to cool for 5 mins.
Beat thickened cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the burnt honey custard, fruit and macadamias through the whipped cream, then spoon into the prepared container and freezer overnight.
Serve generous scoops in waffle cones.

Chocolate Ripple Christmas Wreath

You will need to begin this recipe the night before

Whip the cream to soft peaks.

Spread a few tablespoons of whipped cream onto the base of a 26-28cm round serving plate. This will stop your wreath from sliding around.

Dollop 1 flat tbsp of whipped cream onto a biscuit and top with another biscuit. Repeat until you have a stack of 5 biscuits, the top biscuit should not have any cream on top.

Repeat to make 8 stacks of biscuits.

On the prepared serving plate, arrange the biscuit stacks into a wreath shape. Spread the entire biscuit wreath with just enough whipped cream to ensure the biscuits are covered on top and around the sides. Refrigerate overnight, reserving remaining whipped cream.

When ready to serve, spread remaining whipped cream around the wreath. Decorate with dried fruit and nuts.

Family Fruit Mince Tart

Blend or process butter, and sifted flour and icing sugar until crumbly. Add egg yolk, extract and the water; process until ingredients come together.

Enclose in plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Roll pastry between sheets of baking paper until large enough to line 18cm x 30cm rectangular loose-based flan tin.

Lift pastry into tin, press into sides, trim excess; prick base all over with a fork. Cover; refrigerate 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C.

Place tin on oven tray; line pastry with baking paper then fill with bakers weights. Bake 15 minutes. Cool.

Add fruit mince in an even layer over tart base.

Roll pastry scraps on floured surface, cut out desired shapes. Brush each pastry shape with beaten egg and place pastry egg-side down on fruit mince.

Bake tart about 20 minutes or until browned lightly. Dust with a little sifted icing sugar before serving.

Sultana Cinnamon Mini Muffins

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line two 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin pans with paper cases. Combine flour, brown sugar, oats and sultanas in medium bowl. Whisk milk, melted butter and egg in small bowl, stir into dry ingredients (do not overmix, mixture should be lumpy).

Divide mixture into paper cases. Bake about 15 minutes, turn, top-side up, onto wire rack. Combine caster sugar with cinnamon, sprinkle over hot muffins.