Rich Creme De Cacao Fruit Cake

A community recipe by Coby

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

Introduction

From the Australian Women's Weekly Nov 2006 For anyone who is concerned about the lack of raising agent, the recipe is correct - it uses plain flour and no raising agent. Fruit cakes, unlike a butter cake for example, are dense and do not rise, therefore plain flour is used.

Ingredients

Serves: 6

500 grams sultanas
375 grams raisins (chopped coarsely)
160 grams currants (dried)
200 grams dried dates (seeded and chopped coarsely)
55 grams mixed peel
100 grams glace cherries
160 millilitres creme de cacao
90 grams golden syrup
250 grams butter (softened)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
200 grams brown sugar (firmly packed)
4 eggs
100 grams dark chocolate (eating chocolate, grated)
335 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons mixed spice
60 millilitres creme de cacao (extra, to decorate)
55 grams caster sugar
60 millilitres water
500 grams fondant icing (soft fondant icing - pure icing sugar, not icing sugar mixture)
sprinkles (white, or cachous)

Method

Rich Creme De Cacao Fruit Cake is a community recipe submitted by Coby and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Combine fruit, liqueur and syrup in a bowl; mix well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Store in a cool, dark place overnight or up to a week, stirring every day.
Line a deep 19cm square cake pan or deep 22cm round cake pan with two thicknesses of brown paper and two thicknesses of baking paper, extending paper 5cm above sides of pan. Preheat oven to slow (150C/130C fan-forced).
Beat butter, extract and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until just combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating only until just combined between additions.
Add butter mixture to fruit mixture; mix well. Stir in chocolate and sifted dry ingredients in two batches. Spread mixture into prepared pan; smooth top.
Bake, uncovered, for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. To test if cake is cooked, insert a sharp, thin knife or skewer into the centre; if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. Brush cake with extra liqueur. Cover hot cake with foil, wrap in a large towel; cool in pan overnight. When cooled, turn cake out; leave lining paper intact. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

To Decorate

Combine sugar and water ina small saucepan and stir over low heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil; boil, uncovered, for 1 minute. Remove syrup from heat; cool.
Trim top of cake level, place upright on cake board. Fill any holes in top of cake with small pieces of the icing. Brush the top of the cake with some of the sugar syrup.
Knead remaining icing on a surface dusted with icing sugar until smooth. Roll out the icing until large enough to cover the top of the cake. Lift icing onto the cake; smooth with hands. Trim the excess icing around edges with a sharp knife; smooth edges with hands. Stand for several hours or overnight until firm.
Brush sugar syrup onto icing in flower, leaf or berry designs (or use a Christmas biscuit cutter as a guide). Sprinkle the syrup with sprinkles or cachous to adhere. Suitable to freeze uniced, for up to 12 months.

Additional Information

A follow up to this recipe :) I found this cake delicious. I would say however, that it was BETTER, much better in fact, a few weeks after Christmas. As I baked it 11th November, I would suggest this cake be made about mid October or no later than the begining of November.