Recipe

Muscovado Christmas fruitcake

Aug 27, 2013 2:00pm
  • 45 mins preparation
  • 3 hrs cooking
  • Serves 16
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Ingredients

Muscovado christmas fruitcake
  • 300 gram butter, chopped
  • 600 gram chopped mixed glace fruit
  • 2 cup (320g) dried pitted dates, chopped
  • 2/3 cup (160ml) rum, plus extra, for brushing
  • 1/3 cup (115g) golden syrup
  • 1 1/3 cup (295g) firmly packed muscovado sugar
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 6 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 1/2 cup (375g) plain flour
  • 1/2 cup (75g) self-raising flour
  • 1 tablespoon mixed spice
  • icing sugar, for dusting
  • 500 gram ready-made fondant icing
  • 1/4 cup (80g) apricot jam, warmed, sieved
  • ribbons, christmas ornaments, to decorate

Method

Muscovado christmas fruitcake
  • 1
    Place butter, glace fruit, dates, rum, golden syrup and muscovado sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  • 2
    Cook, stirring, 10 minutes, until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Simmer, stirring occasionally, a further 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in bicarbonate of soda. Cool completely.
  • 3
    Preheat oven to slow, 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Grease a 7cm-deep, 20cm square cake pan. Line base and sides with three layers of brown or baking paper.
  • 4
    Stir egg into fruit mixture. Sift over flours and mixed spice; stir to combine. Pour into prepared pan; smooth surface.
  • 5
    Bake, covering loosely with foil halfway through cooking, 2 hours 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Stand 10 minutes. Brush top with extra rum.
  • 6
    Wrap foil around pan with cake still in it, then wrap in a clean tea towel. Turn wrapped pan upside-down. Cool on a flat surface overnight.
  • 7
    Unwrap cake and remove from pan. Using a serrated knife, level top of cake. Place cake, cut side down, on a serving plate or board.
  • 8
    Dust work surface with icing sugar. Knead fondant icing until smooth and pliable. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick.
  • 9
    Brush cake with apricot jam. Roll icing over a rolling pin and drape over cake. Dust hands with icing sugar and shape icing around cake, rubbing with baking paper to smooth completely. Trim any excess icing.
  • 10
    Stand 1 hour, until icing is firm. Decorate cake with ribbon and ornaments.

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