Sunbeam Spiced Christmas Cake
Preparation 15 MINS + Overnight soaking
Cook 2 1/2 HOURS
Serves 20
Method
In a large bowl, combine mixed fruit, cherries, nuts, apple, golden syrup and liquor. Mix well, cover and allow to stand overnight (or up to 24 hours for amazing flavour).
Preheat oven to 150ºC (130ºC fan forced). Very generously grease the bundt tin, ensuring butter is in all creases.
Add sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment. Beat until fluffy and pale. With the motor running, add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated before adding the next.
Add flour and spices, beat on low until just combined. Add orange zest and soaked fruit mixture and beat until just combined.
In a small bowl mix together orange juice and bicarbonate of soda, add to the cake batter and beat until just incorporated.
Spoon batter into the prepared bundt tin, using a spatula to press mixture into any crevices and flatten the surface.
Bake for 2 ¼ to 2 ½ hours 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 baking rack to remove and allow to cool completely.
Ingredients
1kg Sunbeam Mixed Fruit
150g Sunbeam Glacé Cherries
70g Sunbeam Walnuts
70g Sunbeam Blanched Almonds, roughly chopped
1 apple, grated (peeled and core removed)
3 tbsp golden syrup
250ml Cointreau or brandy
275g brown sugar
250g butter, softened to room temperature, plus extra to grease tin
4 eggs
450g plain flour
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
60ml orange juice
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
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.
Hot Cross Bun Loaf
Place flour, yeast, sugar, allspice, cinnamon and salt in mixing bowl and briefly mix until combined.
Add in melted butter, warm milk, egg, sultanas and currants.
Mix with dough hook on medium speed for 5-7 minutes until a dough ball is formed and is coming away from the sides of the bowl.
Leave the dough covered with clingfilm in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until doubles in size.
Knock the air out of the dough and then shape it into a loaf.
Place dough into a greased dough tin approximately 24cm x 13cm x 6.5 cm in size.
Cover dough with cling film again and let rise for approximately 40 minutes or until it has risen to about 70% of its original size.
Pre heat oven to 180 degrees.
Cross Method
Mix flour and water together until a thickish paste forms. Using a ziplock bag with the corner cut off or a piping bag, pipe crosses down the center of the loaf, and then across the other way three or four times.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until it sounds hollow when you tap it.
Let cool on a baking rack for 15-20 minutes.
Drizzle Method
Mix icing sugar and lemon juice together and drizzle over loaf whilst still slightly warm.
Sultana Cinnamon Mini Muffins
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line two 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin pans with paper cases. Combine flour, brown sugar, oats and sultanas in medium bowl. Whisk milk, melted butter and egg in small bowl, stir into dry ingredients (do not overmix, mixture should be lumpy).
Divide mixture into paper cases. Bake about 15 minutes, turn, top-side up, onto wire rack. Combine caster sugar with cinnamon, sprinkle over hot muffins.
Walnut Sultana Zucchini Carrot Cake
Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan). Grease and line base and sides of two x 22.5cm (9”) round baking tins.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with beater attachment, combine zucchini, carrot, flour, sugar, 50g of walnuts, sultanas and spices. Mix on low until just combined.
Whisk together oil and eggs then add to the zucchini mixture and beat on low until just combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins, smoothing the surfaces. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in tins for an hour, then invert onto a baking rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk until smooth. Add sifted icing sugar and whisk until smooth and fluffy.
To decorate, spread half the icing on top of one cake. Arrange the second cake on top and spread with remaining icing. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts to decorate.
Chocolate Bunny Cakes (Gluten Free)
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C). Line 10 x ⅓ cup capacity muffin pans with paper cases.
- Place eggs, honey, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat well with electric beaters for 2 minutes. Fold in the almond meal, flour, cocoa and baking powder until mixture is well combined. Stir in the sultanas.
- Spoon mixture between paper cases and bake for 22-24 minutes until cooked. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For icing, beat together the cream cheese and honey until smooth. Dollop over the top of cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with coconut. Decorate with ears and nose.
Chocolate Ripple Christmas Wreath
You will need to begin this recipe the night before
Whip the cream to soft peaks.
Spread a few tablespoons of whipped cream onto the base of a 26-28cm round serving plate. This will stop your wreath from sliding around.
Dollop 1 flat tbsp of whipped cream onto a biscuit and top with another biscuit. Repeat until you have a stack of 5 biscuits, the top biscuit should not have any cream on top.
Repeat to make 8 stacks of biscuits.
On the prepared serving plate, arrange the biscuit stacks into a wreath shape. Spread the entire biscuit wreath with just enough whipped cream to ensure the biscuits are covered on top and around the sides. Refrigerate overnight, reserving remaining whipped cream.
When ready to serve, spread remaining whipped cream around the wreath. Decorate with dried fruit and nuts.
