Recipe

Bread and butter cake

  • 2 hrs cooking
  • Serves 12
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Ingredients

Bread and butter cake
  • 1/3 cup (55g) sultanas
  • 1/3 cup (55g) raisins
  • 1/3 cup (50g) dried apricots, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup (35g) currants
  • 1/3 cup (65g)dried figs, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon mixed peel
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) brandy
  • 2 tablespoon orange juice
Sponge cake
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
  • 3/4 cup (110) self-raising flour, triple sifted
  • 50 gram unsalted butter, melted
Brioche
  • 200 gram brioche, cut into into 1cm slices
  • 80 gram unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup (80g) apricot jam, warmed
Custard
  • 300 millilitre thickened cream
  • 1 cup (250ml) milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
  • 1 tablespoon icing (confectioners') sugar for dusting

Method

Bread and butter cake
  • 1
    Combine dried fruits, peel, brandy and juice in medium bowl. Cover, stand overnight.
  • 2
    Preheat oven to 200°C (180° fan forced). Grease and flour deep 23cm (9-inch) round cake pan. To make the sponge, reduce oven to 160°C (140°C fan forced).
  • 3
    To make sponge, beat eggs and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy, and sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a large bowl; fold in triple sifted flour and butter. Pour mixture into pan, bake for 20 minutes. Turn, top-side up, onto baking-paper lined wire rack. Cool.
  • 4
    Spread each slice of brioche with a quarter of the combined butter and jam. Using a serrated knife, split brioche into three layers; place bottom layer in same cleaned greased and lined cake pan. Brush with another quarter of the jam mixture.
  • 5
    Cut 8 x 6cm (2¼-inch) rounds from middle layer; discard excess. Brush small rounds on both sides with another quarter of the jam mixture, reserve. Chop remaining cake layer. Layer half the brioche, fruit mixture and chopped cake in pan, then top with remaining brioche. Top with remaining jam mixture.
  • 6
    To make the custard, stir cream and milk in a small saucepan over heat until almost boiling. Whisk eggs, yolks and sugar in a large bowl. Whisking constantly, gradually add hot cream mixture to egg mixture.
  • 7
    Pour hot custard over layered ingredients, top with reserved rounds. Bake for 30 minutes. Cover, bake for further 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cool in pan 30 minutes. Turn, top-side up, onto serving plate. Serve dusted with sifted icing sugar.

Notes

Buy small brioche from the bakery section of your supermarket or from any French cake shop. This recipe is not suitable to freeze.