Classic Christmas Cake

Recipe

Preparation time - 15 minutes

Baking time - 1.5 hour

Serves - 6-8

Ingredients

3/4 cup Raisins

1/4 cup Prunes, chopped

1/4 cup Apricots, chopped

1/4 cup Dates, chopped

1/4 cup Dried Figs, chopped

150 ml Rum, or brandy (optional)

60 ml Fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons Orange Zest (Rind)

2 cups APFlour

1 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 cups Butter

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Almond Meal

1 tsp Cinnamon Powder

1/2 tsp ground Cloves

1 tsp ginger powder

1 cup Almonds or macadamia nuts, chopped.

For Flax Meal Egg Replacer -

4 tbsp Flax seed powder (flax meal)

12 tbsp Chilled water

Method

1. To begin we first have to soak all the dry fruits in rum and juice (you can omit the rum). This process helps ferment the fruits and also helps to release all the flavours and make the Christmas cake moist and rich.

2. Place the dry fruits into a large mixing bowl. Pour over the rum and orange juice and sprinkle over the orange zest. Mix until well combined, then cover the bowl with cling film and set aside.

3. Proceed to the remaining steps are once the fermentation of the fruits are over.

4. Sift the flour, baking powder and the spices together and keep aside. I like to sift it twice over as the flour gets good air pockets and also makes the cake more fluffy.

5. Line the base and sides of a 9 inch spring foam cake pan with a double layer parchment paper, making sure the paper reaches the top of the tin.

6. In a large bowl or a Stand Mixer, whisk the butter and sugar together until fluffy.

7. Gradually beat in the flax mix. Add in the flour slowly until well combined.

8. Slowly add in the soaked dried fruits, its liquids, the almond powder, chopped nuts and combine it into the flour mixture.

9. Spoon the above cake mixture into the spring foam pan and level the surface with the back of a spoon.

10. Bake for 1.5 hours, in a preheated oven at 170°C, approximately or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out completely clean.

11. Dust with icing sugar and serve!

Chef’s tips

1. Soak the fruits overnight or a few weeks or a month or a year. It the longer you ferment, the fruits get fermented, the richer the taste of the Christmas cake.

2. Don’t over beat the mixture! We just want all the ingredients to be well combined.

3. The cake typically tends to darken a lot during baking, if this happens cover the top with parchment paper in the middle of the baking process.

   HAPPY COOKING!!!