This Christmas cake, with sweet masala-soaked figs, cherries, currants and sultanas, is lighter than a traditional recipe.
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Ingredients
- 400g sultanas
- 125g currants
- 125g raisins
- 250g glacé cherries, chopped
- 250g dried figs, chopped
- 50g mixed peel
- 6 tbsp sweet marsala or sweet sherry, plus extra for pouring
- 300g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease (see tips)
- 300g plain flour
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- ½ nutmeg, grated
- 10 green cardamom pods, seeds finely crushed, pods discarded
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 250g light muscovado sugar
- 5 medium free-range eggs
- 2 tbsp black treacle
- Grated zest 1 lemon
- Grated zest 1 orange
- 30g each hazelnuts and almonds, finely chopped
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Method
- Mix the dried fruit and peel in a large bowl with the 6 tbsp marsala/ sherry. Cover and soak overnight.
- Heat the oven to 140°C/fan120°C/ gas 1. Grease a deep 23cm diameter cake tin, line with a double layer of baking paper, then grease the paper. Put the remaining ingredients, except the nuts, in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until well combined. Stir in the nuts along with the soaked fruit and peel, adding any liquid from the bowl.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top, then cover with another disc of baking paper. Bake for 31⁄2-4 hours until firm to the touch and a skewer pushed into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin.
- Discard the baking paper disc and poke several holes into the top of the cake with a skewer, then pour over a couple of extra tablespoons of marsala/sherry and leave to soak.
- Remove the cake from the tin and wrap in baking paper and foil – or slice and serve (see make ahead).
Nutrition
- 278 kcals Calories
- 11.2g (5.9g saturated) Fat
- 3.5g Protein
- 40.9g (33.5g sugars) Carbs
- 2g Fibre
- 0.1g Salt
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