Christmas Fruit Cake
Preparation 30 Minutes
Cook 30 Minutes
Serves 12
Method
Pre-heat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Use an oil spray to grease a deep bunting cake tin.
Combine mixed fruit, raisins, dates and currants in a large saucepan. Add water and port, mix through.
Place over a low heat for 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed and fruit softened.
Set aside to cool.
Using electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs one at a time until all incorporated.
Fold in flours and spices. Remove from mixing stand and fold in the fruit mixture with a large spoon.
Mixing until well combined. Spoon batter into prepared bunting cake tin and tap on counter to remove air bubbles and ensure bater has filled the tin evenly.
Bake for 2 hours or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the cake tin placed on wet tea towel before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
**To serve drizzle with your favourite glaze by mixing 1 cup of icing sugar & 2 tbsp lemon juice
Ingredients
375g pkt SUNBEAM Mixed Fruit
375g pkt SUNBEAM Raisins
1 cup SUNBEAM Currants
200g Angas Park Diced Dates
¾ cup water
½ cup port
250g butter, diced and softened
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups plain flour
½ cup self raising flour
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground ginger
OPTIONAL:
To serve drizzle with white citrus glaze by mixing 1 cup of icing sugar & 2 tbsp lemon juice
Recipe Collection
Lemon Date Slice with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Line a 20 x 20cm slice tray. Place dates and 100g of the cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until a paste has formed. Add oats, coconut and lemon rind. Pulse until smooth. Remove to a bowl and fold in blueberries. Press into prepared tray and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.
- For frosting, whisk together the remaining cream cheese, icing sugar, juice and lemon rind. Spread over slice and sprinkle with pepitas, refrigerate until required and cut into squares.
Chocolate Fruit Truffles
- Add chocolate to a food processor and blitz until very finely chopped.
- Transfer chocolate to a bowl, pour over the hot thickened cream, add butter, currants and salt and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours until firm but still able to be scooped with a spoon.
- To make truffles, scoop 1 heaped tbsp of the mixture and use clean hands to roll into a rough ball. Repeat with remaining mixture (you should make about 24)
- Arrange crushed nuts, desiccated coconut and cacao powder in separate bowls. Roll each of the truffles into different coatings to decorate.*to make coloured coconut we combined desiccated coconut with a few drops of food colouring
Hummingbird Christmas Cake
Preheat 170ºC (150ºC fan). Grease and line 2 x 17cm round cake tins.
Combine flour, sugar, coconut, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add fruit and vegetables, lime zest, nuts, Angas Park Fruit Medley, oil, eggs and salt, stirring until combined. Divide evenly among the two pans then bake for 35 mins. Allow to cool completely in tins before turning out.
To make icing, in a stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer) beat together the cream cheese, butter, coconut essence and lime juice, then, with motor running, gradually add icing sugar 1 tbsp at a time until fully incorporated.
To assemble, spread icing onto the top of one cake, top with the second cake and spread icing on top. Arrange flowers, Angas Park Fruit Salad and extra cashews on top, to decorate.
Shortbread Layered Fruit Mince Butter Cake
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°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.
Sultana & White Chocolate Shortbread
Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes, add the sifted flour, when almost combined add the sultanas, choc chips & continue to beat with the flat beaters until a firm dough is obtained, be aware that it does take time to bring it together. If you knead by hand it will take approximately 4 minutes of kneading.
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes or even overnight.
Remove the dough from the fridge, and if very firm, gently knead, place the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll to ¼ inch thickness, cut out with your feastive cookie cutters, place on the prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate the cookies while the oven is pre-heating, for about 15 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 160C. Line 1 or 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let sit 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
Hot Cross Muffins
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease and line a 12 hole muffin pan. Sift flour, mixed spice and cinnamon into a large Combine the egg, milk and butter in a jug. Pour into a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Stir until just combined.
- Divide the mixture among the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
- Place the icing sugar in a small bowl. Gradually stir in water to make a thick icing. Pipe a cross onto each muffin and set aside until the icing is set.
