Golden Fruit Cake
Preparation 30MINS + 5-7 DAYS SOAKING TIME
Cook 3 β 3 1/2 HRS
Serves 20
Method
Combine fruit and 1/2 cup of brandy in a large bowl. Cover and store in a cool, dark place for 5-7 days, stirring each day.
Preheat oven to 150Β°C and grease a 22cm round deep cake tin. Line with three layers of brown paper, extending papers 5cm above rim
- Stir slivered almonds, pineapple and grated apple into fruit mixture. Set aside
- Beat butter, caster sugar and brown sugar together until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Add to fruit mixture and mix well.
- Stir sifted dry ingredients through the wet mix. Spread evenly into pan. Tap pan several times on bench to settle the mixture.
- Decorate with blanched almonds. Bake for 3-3 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave hot cake in the tin and wrap in foil, then a thick tea towel to cool overnight.
HINT: FOR AN EXTRA MOIST CAKE, PIERCE THE TOP OF THE CAKE ALL OVER WITH A FINE SKEWER AND SPOON A LITTLE EXTRA BRANDY OVER, BEFORE COOLING.
Ingredients
1kg Sunbeam Mixed Fruit
125g Sunbeam Raisins
125g Sunbeam Currants
1 cup Sunbeam Slivered Almonds
1 cup brandy
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 small Granny Smith Apple, grated
250g butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup self raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp mixed spice
120g Sunbeam Blanched Almonds (to decorate)
Recipe Collection
Macadamia and Cacao Balls
- Blend or process dates until smooth
- Combine macadamia meal, cacao and dates in a bowl.
- Use wet hands to roll tablespoons of mixture in balls. Roll in coconut.
Sunbeam Traditional Fruit Cake
You will need a 21cm round tin for this recipe (base measurement)
- Soak fruit overnight in brandy, if you warm the brandy it infuses faster and you can soak for a few hours instead of overnight.
- Place soaked fruit, water, butter, maple syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil then remove from heat and add bicarbonate of soda mixed with one tablespoon boiling water. Cool for 15 minutes. Add lightly beaten eggs, mixing thoroughly. Fold in sifted flours, spices and vanilla essence.
- Preheat oven to 160ΒΊC. We used a 21cm bundt tin. Spoon batter into the prepared tin, using a spatula to smooth the surface. Bake for up to 75 to 90 minutes or until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the centre. Allow cake to cool in the tin for an hour then invert onto a cooling rake to remove. Allow to cool completely.
TIP: Liquor can be substituted with flavoured syrup or orange juice.
Optional cinnamon burnt buttercream:Β Heat 500g butter in a large frypan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until a deep golden colour.Β Pour the butter and milk solids into a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until hard.Β Remove burnt butter from fridge for 1 hour to soften then add 250g of the butter to a stand mixer and beat for 4-5 mins until creamy.Β Add 320g sifted icing sugar mixture, Β½ tsp ground cinnamon and 2 tbsp milk and beat for a further 6 mins or until light and fluffy.
Fruit and Nut Easter Eggs
Combine mixed fruit, dates, 90g seed mix, 80g hazelnuts, 20g coconut, coconut oil, vanilla essence, coffee and salt in a food processor and blend until a smooth, thick paste is formed.Β
Divide into 25 equal portions and roll each into a ball, then shape into an egg shape.
Place remaining seed mix into a food processor and process to a coarse crumb.Β Β Transfer to a small bowl.Β Β Repeat with remaining hazelnuts.Β Β Pour remaining coconut into a small bowl.Β
To decorate, roll 6 eggs in coconut, 6 in seed mix crumb, 6 in hazelnut crumb and leave 7 plain.Β Β Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving cold.
Apple, Pear & Sunmuscat Filo Tart
Preheat oven to 200ΒΊC (fan forced 180ΒΊC).Β Β Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Combine all nuts, sunmuscats, breadcrumbs and cinnamon, toss to combine then drizzle over the maple syrup and mix well.Β Β Reserve 1/3 cup of this mixture.
Lay 1 sheet of filo onto prepared tray.Β Β Brush evenly with melted butter, sprinkle over ΒΌ of the nut mixture.Β Β Brush a second sheet with butter and arrange on top, repeat with another ΒΌ of the nut mixture.Β Β Repeat twice more, so you have 4 layers of brushed filo and nut mixture, then brush remaining filo sheet with butter and place on top.Β
Arrange apple and pear slices on top, brush with remaining butter then sprinkle over reserved nut mixture and coconut sugar.
Bake for 25-30 mins until pastry is golden.Β Β Cut into slices and serve with rocket.
Shortbread Layered Fruit Mince Butter Cake
Preheat oven to 180Β°C/350Β°F.
Grease 3 round 20cm (8-inch) cake pans; line base and sides with baking paper.
Beat butter, extract and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Stir in sifted flours and milk, in two batches. Spread mixture into pan; smooth surface.
Bake cake about 1/2 hour. Stand in pan 5 minutes; turn, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool. Grab your prepared Sunbeam Fruit Mince and spread a generous layer over each cake then cover with a layer of cream. Stack the 3 cakes and then cover whole cake with cream icing.
Arrange summer fruits on top & dust with sifted icing sugar, arrange the gingerbread cookies as desired to decorate before serving.
Toasted Almond & Blueberry Salad
- Toast almonds in a pan on medium heat then set aside.
- Wash berries and slice strawberries into halves.
- Crumble blue cheese and combine salad ingredients together.
- Combine dressing ingredients and blend until smooth, pour over salad when serving.
