CAKE RECIPE
Ben’s Rich Fruit Cake This delicious fruit cake is a crowd-pleaser all year round, because the cake isn’t too dark. You can change the mix of fruits, but stick to the overall total and don’t drop below 500g of vine fruits. For a festive twist, use dates and cranberries, decorate as shown, or with marzipan and icing. But it’s perfect plain, too. Serves at least 20 474kcal 83g carbs per slice
INGREDIENTS Cake: 900g mixed vine fruits 100g dried apricots, chopped 75g mixed peel 400g glacé cherries, whole
Tip:
6 tbsp orange liqueur Juice and zest of a large clementine (or orange) 250g butter, softened (or dairy-free spread) 250g soft brown sugar 5 eggs 250g plain flour (or GF flour) 3 tsp mixed spice 1 tbsp treacle 100g almonds, chopped Decoration (as shown): Marmalade/apricot jam 6-8 pecans 30 mixed glacé cherries 30 blanched almonds, halved
METHOD 1. ut the fruit, apricots, mi ed peel and cherries in a bowl and add the li ueur, orange juice and zest. Soak for at least 12 hours, or up to one week, stirring occasionally. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 1 0 C. Grease and double line a
2 cm .5cm deep cake tin. Wrap the outside of the tin, to prevent the sides from overbaking see tip . 2. In a very large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between. Fold in the flour and mi ed spice, then the treacle and almonds. Finally, fold in the soaked fruit, drained, if any li uid remains. 3. Spoon into the tin, and level off. Bake in the oven for about hours, until a skewer comes out clean. If the top is becoming too dark, cover loosely with foil. eave to cool in the tin, then wrap in greaseproof and foil until needed up to months . 4. To decorate as shown, heat tablespoons of jam until bubbling,
We line the outside with those brown paper strips used to package online deliveries – perfect!
then sieve. aint onto the cake, then add the fruit and nuts in rings, starting at the centre. Finally, lightly brush more jam over the almonds and pecans. The cake will keep for weeks in a tin serve in small wedges or slices, as a little goes a long way The ennoyer Centre’s volunteer BakeForce make delicious cakes for sale in the caf , which won the Norfolk Food rink Best Baking Award. The caf is open on Sat from 10am to pm. www.pennoyers.org.uk 01379 676660 The Pennoyer Centre, Station Road, Pulham St Mary, Norfolk, IP21 4QT
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