Spiced Lemon Cake

Preparation 20 Minutes

Cook 45 Minutes

Serves 12-16

Method

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

  1.  Place butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer, beat until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated.

  2. Fold in the sifted flour, almond meal, baking powder and spice alternately with the sour cream, mixing until well combined. Add lemon juice and rind, mixing well.

  3. Spoon batter into a greased and lined 20cm square cake pan. Sprinkle the pine nuts and currants over the top and bake for 40- 45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

  4. For the syrup: Place sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced, thick and syrupy. Remove cinnamon stick.

  5. Drizzle the syrup evenly over the cake, allowing it to be absorbed. Allow to cool in the pan for 1 hour. Serve cake pieces with a dollop of thick cream or yoghurt.

Ingredients

175g butter, diced and softened

1¼ cups caster sugar

3 extra large eggs

1 ½ cups plain flour

½ cup SUNBEAM Almond Meal

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp mixed spice

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind

¼ cup SUNBEAM Currants

¼ cup SUNBEAM Pine Nuts

Spiced Syrup

¼ cup caster sugar

juice of 1 lemon (approx. 60ml)

1 cinnamon stick

Recipe Collection

Toasted Almond & Blueberry Salad

  1. Toast almonds in a pan on medium heat then set aside.
  2. Wash berries and slice strawberries into halves.
  3. Crumble blue cheese and combine salad ingredients together.
  4. Combine dressing ingredients and blend until smooth, pour over salad when serving.

Mini Fruit Tarts

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Add fruit mince in an even layer into tart case.

Cut out star shapes from shortcrust sheet.

Brush each pastry shape with beaten egg and place pastry egg-side down on fruit mince.

Bake tart about 20 minutes or until browned lightly. Dust with a little sifted icing sugar before serving.

 

Spiced Lemon Cake

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

  1.  Place butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer, beat until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated.

  2. Fold in the sifted flour, almond meal, baking powder and spice alternately with the sour cream, mixing until well combined. Add lemon juice and rind, mixing well.

  3. Spoon batter into a greased and lined 20cm square cake pan. Sprinkle the pine nuts and currants over the top and bake for 40- 45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

  4. For the syrup: Place sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced, thick and syrupy. Remove cinnamon stick.

  5. Drizzle the syrup evenly over the cake, allowing it to be absorbed. Allow to cool in the pan for 1 hour. Serve cake pieces with a dollop of thick cream or yoghurt.

Reindeer Raisin Bites

  1. Add dark and milk chocolate, raisins, and almonds (excluding reserved almonds) to a food processor and blitz until very finely chopped.
  2. Transfer chocolate to a bowl, pour over the hot thickened cream, add butter and salt and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours until firm but still able to be scooped with a spoon.
  3. To make truffles, scoop 2 heaped tbsp of the mixture and use clean hands to roll into a ball.  Repeat with the remaining mixture.
  4. Roll balls in the chocolate sprinkles to coat.
  5. Cut pretzels in half and insert 2 into each ball for antlers.
  6. Just below the antlers, insert slivered almond to form reindeer’s ears.
  7. Use white icing to stick an Ovalteenie to each ball to form a snout.
  8. Use white icing to create two eyeballs just above the mouth. And a dot to each eye with the black gel.
  9. Use the white icing to attach a red mini M&M to the top of each Ovalteenie to give your reindeers noses.
  10. Refrigerate for a further hour to set the icing. Serve cold.

Christmas Fruit Cake

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

Smoked Eggplant Dip

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

  1.  Prick eggplant all over with a fork. Place both eggplants over a low gas flame on your cooktop, turning often until skin is charred all over. Remove to a lined baking tray and continue cooking in the oven for 30 minutes or until completely tender and cooked through. 
  2. When cool, peel skin away from eggplants, discarding stems and juices.
  3. Roughly chop the flesh and combine with yoghurt, lemon juice, tahini, garlic and seasonings. 
  4. Combine currants with sherry vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes.
  5. For serving, toss together the drained currants, pine nuts, parsley and seasonings. Spoon eggplant dip into a serving dish and sprinkle with pine nut mixture. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve with warmed turkish bread.

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