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GRUMPY'S CHRISTMAS CAKE

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Serves: 1

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This recipe is my adaptation of the 'Festive Fruit and Nut Cake' from the Australian Women's Weekly 'The Christmas Book'. I've heard of this cake style being called 'pandora's box', 'Government House' and 'Stained Glass Window' cake. It's essentially large chunks of glace fruit and whole nuts bound together by a very small amount of cake mix and with more un-caked fruit on top. I make it in a 20cm ring tin, or small round tins (muffin tin size) to give as gifts, wrapped in clear cellophane, as a little of this cake goes a long way. If there's a particular fruit or nut you don't like - simply substitute for one you do. The original recipe had more brazil nuts and no ginger - I substituted macadamia nuts and took away some of the other fruits. Why is it called 'Grumpy's Christmas cake'? Simply, my children call my dad 'Grumpy' and I always make this cake for him for Christmas. Lost for inspiration for a birthday present this year I made it for his birthday too! It will keep for 3 months (refrigerated in an air tight container). Frankly, it's never lasted that long in our place! See photo on MSN (amanda n's photos).

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Ingredients

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for the cake150

  • 3 glace pineapple (rings)
  • 125 grams glace apricots (coarsely chopped)
  • 250 ml dates
  • 125 grams crystallized ginger (coarsely chopped)
  • 100 grams glace cherries (red)
  • 100 grams glace cherries (green)
  • 100 grams blanched almonds
  • 150 grams brazil nuts
  • 120 grams macadamia nuts
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 100 grams brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rum
  • 90 grams butter (soft)
  • 50 grams plain flour
  • 35 grams self-raising flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons gelatine
  • 1 tablespoon water

for the topping

  • 4 glace pineapple (rings)
  • 50 grams glace cherries (red)
  • 50 grams glace cherries (green or fruit of your choice)
  • 225 grams nuts (your choice)

Method

Grease and line a deep 20cm ring tin, OR 2 8cmX26cm bar tins, or whatever size small tins you like. Combine fruit and nuts in large bowl (not the ones for the topping). In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs until they are thick and creamy. Add sugar, rum and butter and beat until just combined. The butter will still be visible in small lumps - don't worry. Add egg mixture and flours to fruit mix and stir. Press into tin(s) firmly. Arrange the topping fruit/nuts over the cake & lightly press down. I put mine on pretty haphazardly but you could do in a fancy design if you wanted. Bake in a slow oven for 1 hour. Cover with foil and bake for 1 further hour for ring tin, 45 mins for bar tins. I've never quite worked out the times for the smaller cakes but around 1 hour's total cooking is about right for a muffin tin sized cake. When cooked, stand for 10 mins then carefully turn out, ending up with the decoration on top. You may lose a bit of the topping at this point but don't panic. Just poke it back on, or eat it! Cool. Spoon gelatine over water in a cup and stand the cup in a small pot of simmering water. Stir until the gelatine dissolves. Cool slightly then paint onto the topping to 'set' the topping into place. I've actually left this step out before and while it doesn't stay on quite as well, all the sugar in the fruit seems to melt most of the topping into place when it's cooking. Eat in thin slices - unless you're a Grumpy, in which case eat in great thick slabs and be damned!

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