Hummingbird Christmas Cake

Preparation 20 Minutes

Cook 35 Minutes

Serves 8

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Method

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.

Ingredients

200g self-raising flour

150g caster sugar

65g desiccated coconut

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp mixed spice

330g crushed pineapple in natural juice

1 small banana, mashed

1 small carrot, grated

150g roasted sweet potato flesh (about 2 sweet potatoes)

1 small zucchini, grated

Zest of 1 lime

80g Sunbeam Raw Cashews, plus extra to decorate

200g Angas Park Fruit Medley

140ml coconut oil

3 eggs

Pinch of sea salt

Australian native flowers and Angas Park Fruit Salad, to decorate

CREAM CHEESE ICING

375g cream cheese, room temperature

120g cultured butter, room temperature

150g icing sugar, sifted

Natural coconut essence, to taste

Juice of 1 lime

Recipe Collection

Bread and Butter Pudding

Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).

  1. Combine sultanas and juice in a small bowl and set aside.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, sugar and vanilla.

  3. Sprinkle some of the sultanas and chocolate over the base of a rectangular baking dish. Arrange half of croissants in the baking dish, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with more of the sultanas and chocolate. Top with remaining croissants, sultanas and chocolate.

  4. Pour egg mixture over croissants allowing time for it to be absorbed, approximately 30 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds. 

  5. Bake pudding for 35-40 minutes or until set. Serve warm with cream or ice-cream.

Baked Sultana Stuffed Apples

Core apples and peel from the top to about half way down.

Mix Sunbeam Sultanas, sugar, cinnamon and butter together, stuff the centre of each apple with the mixture.

Put in a greased baking dish, and if there is any stuffing left over fill the spaces between the apples with it.

Pour in enough water to cover bottom of baking dish, and bake slowly till apples are tender and syrup like caramel.

Burnt Honey and Macadamia Semifreddo

  1. Line a 2L freezer-safe container with baking paper.
  2. In a small saucepan melt butter. Add honey and cook for a further 2 mins until foamy and golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
  3. Combine all eggs, vanilla, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl.  Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer,  place bowl over the top and constantly beat for 6-8 mins (using an electric beater) or until the mixture is thick and pale. Remove from heat, beat in the burnt honey mixture then allow to cool for 5 mins.
  4. Beat thickened cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the burnt honey custard, fruit and macadamias through the whipped cream, then spoon into the prepared container and freezer overnight.
  5. Serve generous scoops in waffle cones.

Last Minute Christmas Cake

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the sugar and stir over the heat for 3-4 mins until combined.

Add dried fruit, bicarbonate of soda, rum, cognac and 125ml water and stir well to combine.  Increase heat to high and continue to stir until the sugar dissolves.  Reduce heat to medium then cook for a further 4 mins without stirring.  Remove from heat, cover and allow mixture to cool overnight.

Preheat oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan).  Grease and line a 23cm square baking tin. 

Add eggs to the cooled mixture and stir.  Add flour and spices and stir well to combine.  Allow the mixture to sit for 10 mins before spooning into the prepared tin and smoothing the surface.

Decorate the top of the cake with blanched almonds then bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Check your cake every hour to ensure it is not browning too quickly on top.  If it is, cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.

Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before inverting to remove.  To serve, brush with a little apricot jam that has been warmed in the microwave.

This cake can be stored for up to 3 months in the fridge – cover the cooled cake in 2 layers of plastic wrap and foil.

Custard-stuffed Hot Cross Doughnuts

Place the water, sultanas, currants, cinnamon, vanilla bean and honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer to cook for 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Liqueur 43 (if using). Set aside for 30 minutes to steep and cool. Discard the vanilla bean and cinnamon quill. Drain through a sieve set over a jug, reserving the steeping liquid. Set aside.
To make the custard, place custard powder in a saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of the milk and mix until smooth and well combined. Stir in the remaining milk, then add the cream. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Add the chopped chocolate and mix until smooth. Set aside to cool. Spoon into a piping bag and place in the fridge until required.
Place the warmed milk in a jug. Add the yeast and 3 tablespoons of reserved steeping liquid to the warm milk. Set aside in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes until foaming. Place flour, mixed spice and butter into the bowl of a large food processor (your processor needs to be at least 12 cups). Process until butter is incorporated. With the motor running, pour the milk mixture and egg. Process for 1-2 minutes or until dough has formed a ball and is smooth and elastic. If the dough is a bit to sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it is the right consistency. Add drained sultanas and pulse to combine. Turn onto a floured surface and bring the dough together. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl. cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour or until mixture has doubled in size.
Line two trays with baking paper. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes, knocking the air out. Cut the dough into 16 even portions. Roll each portion into a ball and place on the lined tray and flatten slightly, allowing a little room between each to expand. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes to prove.
Place 4 doughnuts in the wire basket of an air fryer and brush with melted butter. Air fry at 180°C for 8 minutes or until crisp and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. (Alternatively, heat a saucepan of vegetable oil to 160°C and deep-fry doughnuts, turning halfway through, for 2-3 minutes or until golden and cooked through).
Cut a small slit into the base of each doughnut. Pipe custard into the slit on the base of each doughnut. Return to the rack, cut side down.Step 7
Brush the doughnuts with the remaining reserved steeping liquid and set aside for 5 minutes to set.
Place the melted white chocolate melts into a piping bag. Snip the corner and pipe a cross over each doughnut. Set aside for 5 minutes to set.

Fancy Fruit and Nut Cake

Preheat oven to 150°C

  1. Grease a standard loaf tin (21 x 13cm or larger). Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 6cm above rim to form a collar.
  2. Coarsely chop half the nuts, glacé fruit and cherries and place in a large bowl (reserve the remainder of each for topping). Add raisins and dates and stir to combine.
  3. Sift flours and cinnamon, then stir 1⁄4 cup into the fruit mixture.
  4. Beat eggs, sugar, 2 tablespoons of brandy and rind together until light. Add remaining flour and stir to combine, then fold through fruit mixture. Spoon into prepared tin/s and press down with back of a spoon.
  5. Cut remaining glacé fruits into quarters. Press gently on top of cake along with whole nuts and whole cherries.
  6. Cover top of cake with paper bag or baking paper, resting on the collar. Bake large cake for 11⁄2-13⁄4 hours or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin.
  7. Place apricot conserve and remaining brandy in a small saucepan. Simmer, stirring for 3 minutes. Strain, then brush over cake. To serve, cut into thick slices.
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