Sunbeam Christmas Cake
Preparation 30 MINS + Soak Time
Cook 90
Serves 12
Method
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.
We used a 21cm bundt tin. Bake at 160°C for 75 to 90 minutes. Cool in tin.
Decorate with Caramel glaze and Sunbeam flake almonds.
Ingredients
375g Sunbeam Mixed Fruit
125g Angas Park Diced Dates
1 cup brandy
1 cup water
125g butter
2 tablespoons S&W Maple syrup
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 x eggs
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup plain flour
½ teaspoon mixed spice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Recipe Collection
Spiced Currant Biscuits
- Sift the flour and spices into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric beaters until thick and pale, then add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold ii the flour mixture slowly, then stir in currants and lemon zest. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out dough 4-5mm thick then cut with a round biscuit cutter and place on the trays. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the trimmings.
- Sprinkle biscuits with extra sugar. Bake for 10 minutes until firm to touch but still pale. Cool on trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Gingerbread Granola
Preheat the oven to 180℃.
In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon until all well combined.
Spread the mixture across 2 large baking trays lined with baking paper. Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing the granola after 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow granola to cool completely before storing in airtight containers, or jars.
Notes
Granola will store in an airtight container or jar for up to 2 weeks.
Mini Fruit Mince Tarts
To make the fruit mince filling, add all ingredients to a large bowl, mix well, cover and allow to soak for at least 1 hour.
To make the pastry, add the flour, ginger, cinnamon, butter and sugar into a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg and chilled water together in a small bowl, then slowly add to the food processor while it’s running until the mixture comes together into a dough. Remove from the food processor and shape into a disc. Wrap in cling wrap and place into the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 160℃.
Remove from the pastry from the fridge and roll out to a thin 0.3mm dough. Cut into 7cm circles using a cookie cutter or other round object, then place into lightly greased mini muffin tins (30ml capacity). Scoop the fruit mince between the pastry cases. Cut stars from the remaining pastry and place on top of each fruit pie. Brush with milk.
Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and place onto wire racks to cool.
Christmas Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 180oC (160oC fan). Generously grease a 20cm round, loose-bottom (or springform) tin. Line the base with baking paper.
In the bowl of a food processor, add biscuits. Blitz to a fine crumb. Add 250g of the melted butter and blitz until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and use a spatula to gentle push half of the mixture up the sides of the tin. Spread remaining mixture evenly over the base (using a drinking glass can help to compact the mixture around the sides and base). Refrigerate.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine remaining butter with sugar and whisk until combined. With the motor running, add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add cream cheese, quark, sour cream and vanilla, whisk until smooth. Add cornflour and mix until incorporated.
Add peel and sultanas and gently fold through the cream mixture, then spoon into the prepared base and smooth the surface.
Bake cheesecake for 10mins then reduce oven temperature to 170°C (150°C fan) and bake for a further 50 mins. Turn off the oven, leaving the door slightly open, allow cheesecake to sit in the oven for a further hour until the edges of the cheesecake feel firm when gently pressed.
Allow the cheesecake to cool completely at room temperature then remove sides of tin and transfer cheesecake to refrigerator to cool overnight.
To make the meringue decoration, place the egg whites and caster sugar in a large bowl and whip into soft peaks. Spoon the meringue on top of the cheese cake and shape with a spatula. Use kitchen blow torch to lightly crisp the outside of the meringue. Serve and enjoy!
Apple & Sultana Crumble Cake
1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 22cm spring form pan and line the base with baking paper.
2. Place butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
3. Add sour cream, followed by the flour, almond meal and spice. Mix until batter is smooth. Add sultanas, mixing in well. Spoon into prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with diced apples.
4. For the crumble, combine oats, sugar and butter in a bowl and using fingertips, rub to combine so mixture resembles chunky breadcrumbs. Mix in the almonds. Sprinkle over apples and bake for 1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Serve warm with custard or cream.
Crispy Chocolate Slice
- Combine rice puffs, coconut, cacao, raisins and seeds in a large mixing bowl.
- Place coconut oil, honey and vanilla in a small saucepan and gently heat until melted. Pour onto the dry ingredients and mix well. Press into a 20 x 20cm slice pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into pieces.
Notes:
If you’d like crispier rice puffs, place them in a slow oven for 10 minutes to crisp up slightly. If you don’t have rice puffs, replace with rice bubbles.
