Cakes Recipes - Creole Christmas Cake

Ingredients

• 450g raisins

• 225g currants

• 115g sultanas

• 115g no-soak prunes, chopped

• 115g candied orange peel, chopped

• 115g chopped walnuts

• 60ml dark brown sugar

• 5ml vanilla essence

• 5ml ground cinnamon

• 1.5ml each ground nutmeg and cloves

• 5ml salt

• 60ml each rum, brandy and whisky

For the second stage

• 225g plain flour

• 5ml baking powder

• 225g demerara sugar

• 225g butter

• 4 eggs, beaten

For the topping

• 225g apricot jam, sieved

• pecan halves and crystallized kumquat slices, to decorate

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Method:

1. Put the first set of ingredients into a pan, mix and heat gently. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Transfer to a lidded jar and leave in the fridge for 7 days, stirring at least once a day.

2. Preheat the oven to 140'C/27511/Gas 1. Line a 23cm/9in round cake tin with a double thickness of non-stick baking paper and grease it well. Beat the flour, baking powder, sugar and butter together until smooth, then gradually beat in the eggs until the mixture is well blended and smooth.

3. Fold in the fruit mixture and stir well to mix. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, level the surface and bake in the centre of the oven for 3 hours. Cover with foil and continue baking for 1 hour, until the cake feels springy. Cool on a wire rack then remove from the tin. Wrap in foil until needed. The cake will keep well for 1 year.

4. To decorate, heat the jam with 30ml/2 tbsp water, brush half over the cake. Arrange the nuts and fruit over the cake and brush with the remaining apricot glaze.