Simple Last Minute Christmas Fruit Cake (spelt, GF or regular flour)
Ingredients
- 500g (17½ oz) mixed fruit (see note 1)
- 125ml (½ cup) liquid (see note 2)
- 2 oranges (both the zest and juice)
- 150g (½ cup) honey
- 175g (¾ cup) butter
- 175g (⅞ cup) muscovado (or any dark sugar)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 30g (4 tbsp) cocoa
- 3 large eggs
- 225g (1 + ⅚ cups) flour (see note 3)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the dried fruit, liquid, oranges, honey, butter, sugar, spices and cocoa to a large pan.
- Cook for around 15 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool for around 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 150ºC / 300℉. Grease and/or line baking pan (see note 4).
- Whisk the eggs together, and then add to the other ingredients.
- Combine the flour with the baking powder, soda and salt.
- Add to the other ingredients, and stir, just until combined.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for around 65 minutes. The cake is ready when inserted skewer comes out clean. Please note: the baking times will vary depending on the pan you use (see note 4).
- Leave the cake to cool completely. Then wrap up in clingfilm and kitchen foil until ready to eat.
- Before serving, sprinkle with icing sugar and a little Christmas decoration, or wash with honey and add some walnuts or other nuts (see note 5).
Notes
- You can use any fruit you like (I used cranberries, figs, apricots, sultanas and dates).
- You can use any liquid you like, for example spirits, like rum and brandy, or fruit juice, such as orange.
- I have made this recipe in many different ways. You can either use 225g (1 + ⅚ cups) of flour (gluten free blend, plain/regular or spelt flour). Or you can use 150g (1 + ¼ cups) of flour and 75g (¾ cup) of almond meal (ground almonds).
- You can pretty much use any size pan you like. For the first cake, I used a 9" round springform but for my others, I divided the mixture between two regular loaf tins (9 x 5"). Please note that baking times will vary depending on thickness, but aim for 60 minutes before you start checking whether it is ready.
- For my loaf cakes, I topped them with a wash of honey and attached walnuts, then gave them a sprinkling of icing sugar.