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Nut Topped Chocolate Fruit CakeA traditional fruit cake with a chunky chocolate
twist. .
Ingredients:
375g (2½ cups) raisins, roughly chopped
375g (2 1/3 cups) sultanas
150g (¾ cup) glacé cherries, halved
115g (2/3 cup) dried dates, roughly chopped
100g (½ cup) pitted prunes, roughly chopped
80g (½ cup) mixed peel
60g (¼ cup) glacé ginger, chopped
juice & rind 1 medium orange
50ml brandy or whiskey
1 medium green apple, peeled & grated
190g butter, softened
175g (¾ cup) castor sugar
3 large eggs
60g (½ cup) walnuts, chopped
50g (½ cup) almond meal*
100g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
200g (1 1/3 cups) plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Topping
100g (¾ cup) whole blanched almonds
100g (½ cup) brazil nuts
40g (¼ cup) walnuts
2 tbs apricot jam
2 tsp brandy
Method:
In a large bowl, add all dried and glacé fruits, orange rind and juice, brandy and apple, then stir to combine. Cover and set aside overnight, or for up to 3 days.
Preheat oven to a slow 150 ° C (130 ° C for fan forced). Line base and sides of a deep 22cm square pan with 2 layers each of brown paper and baking paper, bringing the paper 4cm above the edge of the pan*.
Attach the flat beater to the stand mixer.
Cream butter and sugar on Speed 2 for 1 minute. Increase to Speed 6 and beat for 5 minutes, regularly wiping down sides of bowl with a spatula.
Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly in between each egg.
Turn mixer off. Add fruit mixture, nuts, almond meal and chocolate and then sift in flour and cinnamon. Spooning the mixtures evenly around the bowl.
Turn to Speed 2 and mix for 30 seconds, or until well combined - but do not over mix.
Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan, smoothing down the top. Drop pan on the bench twice to spread cake evenly in the pan.
Decorate top of cake with nuts, pushing them down lightly into batter.
Place cake on a double thickness of brown paper on a baking sheet and bake for 2½-2¾ hours, or until a skewer comes out clean when tested in the centre of the cake. Cover with foil and allow cake to cool in pan.
Before serving, warm jam and brandy in a small pan, and brush over nut topping.
Tips:
•The brown paper and baking paper protect the edges of the cake during the long slow cooking. Without this, the cake would become dry.
*to make your own fresh almond meal.
Attach the rotary slicer with the fine shredding drum to the standmixer. Turn mixer to speed 8. Add the almonds pushing down gently with the pusher and finely grate.
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