POSSIBLY THE BEST FRUITCAKE EVER
Ingredients
250g Sunbeam Pitted Prunes, chopped
250g Sunbeam Pitted Dates, chopped
125g Sunbeam Sultanas
125g Sunbeam Currants
200g glace cherries
1 cup rum or brandy
250g butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
4 x 60g eggs
200g dark chocolate
1/2 cup apricot jam
1/2 cup apricot nectar
2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup SR flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Icing sugar for dusting
Method
Mix the dried fruit in a large bowl and add the rum (or brandy) and leave for a day or two.
Line a large tin (mine was a 25cm square tin which is 8cm deep. The recipe calls for a 23cm round cake tin) with a double layer of baking paper on sides and base. Wrap outside of tin with a double thickness of brown paper and tie with string. (I didn't wrap the outside)
Heat oven to 160°C.
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy, then beat in the eggs well, one by one. Add to fruit and mix well.
Melt the chocolate in a small pan over simmering water, or in the microwave for two minutes, then stir in the jam and nectar and pour over the fruit. Stir well.
Fold in the flour and cinnamon, and tip the cake mixture into the prepared tin. Smooth the top and tap the pan against the worktop to settle the contents and remove air holes.
The length of time for baking will depend on your oven. I have a fan forced oven and in the large square tin it took 2 1/4 hours but the recipe says 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove from the oven, leave in the tin, wrap in kitchen towels and leave overnight.
Dust with icing sugar before serving. As I said, it's seriously good and it's not too late to make it for Christmas!
1 comments:
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