Christmas cake

This cake is pure winter comfort food. It's literally filled with berries, candied fruits, nuts and spices... and chocolate, of course, to make it indulgently rich. The finishing with marzipan and chocolate fondant icing takes a bit of practice.
Level:
Easy

Cake

Ingredients: Cake

  • 175 ml
    rum
  • 4.4 oz
    raisins
  • 2.5 oz
    currants
  • 1.8 oz
    chopped dates
  • 1.8 oz
    sour cherries

Preparation: Cake

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and leave to soak for at least one hour.

Ingredients: Cake

  • 2.6 oz
    walnut
  • 2.6 oz
    flaked almonds
  • 1.8 oz
    whole hazelnuts

Preparation: Cake

Set the oven to 140°C. Gently roast all the nuts until light brown.

Ingredients: Cake

  • 4.4 oz
    unsalted butter
  • 1.8 oz
    caster sugar

Preparation: Cake

Cream the butter and sugar.

Ingredients: Cake

  • 3.5 oz
    A.P. flour
  • 0.2 oz
    four spice

Preparation: Cake

Sieve together onto the creamed butter and sugar.

Ingredients: Cake

  • 3
    large egg(s)

Preparation: Cake

Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, blending all ingredients into a smooth dough.

Ingredients: Cake

  • 6.2 oz
    almonds
  • 1
    lemon zest

Preparation: Cake

Stir in and add the marinated fruit and roasted nuts.

Ingredients: Cake

  • 1.0 lb
    honey
  • 10.6 oz
    L811NV
  • 0.5 oz
    black treacle

Preparation: Cake

Stir in.

Line a 23 cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper. Pour the cake dough into the tin and bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours. Cool in the tin. Store wrapped in aluminium foil.

Chocolate roll-out fondant

Ingredients: Chocolate roll-out fondant

  • 1 leaf/leaves
    gelatin

Preparation: Chocolate roll-out fondant

Soak the gelatine in cold water for 20 minutes.

Ingredients: Chocolate roll-out fondant

  • 40 ml
    water

Preparation: Chocolate roll-out fondant

Dissolve the gelatine in the water over a gentle heat.

Ingredients: Chocolate roll-out fondant

  • 2.8 oz
    glucose
  • 1.1 oz
    white vegetable fat (shortening)
  • 0.4 oz
    liquid glycerine

Preparation: Chocolate roll-out fondant

Add and dissolve gently together without overheating.

Ingredients: Chocolate roll-out fondant

  • 0.2 oz
    vanilla

Preparation: Chocolate roll-out fondant

Add.

Ingredients: Chocolate roll-out fondant

  • 12.0 oz
    icing sugar
  • 6.7 oz
    CP

Preparation: Chocolate roll-out fondant

Sieve together. Add a little bit at a time to the cooled liquids.

Use straight away or store wrapped in cling film in an airtight container. Knead well before use.

Finishing and presentation Cover the cake with marzipan. Coat the cake with the chocolate roll-out fondant. In advance make some chocolate leaves: pre-crystallise plain, milk and white chocolate, mould leaves and before they are set sprinkle with chopped dried fruits and nuts. Mould a ribbon by pre-cutting a transfer into thin strips: Spread pre-crystallised chocolate onto the transfer strips and curl around a knife steel to create the curled ribbon. Place in the fridge for 5 minutes, remove from steel, carefully peel off transfer after 20 minutes. To create the bow spread pre-crystallised chocolate onto the strips one at a time and on setting fold together. Again place in the fridge for 5 minutes. After 20 minutes carefully peel off the transfer. Arrange the chocolate leaves on the cake in a wheat sheaf design attaching with pre-crystallised chocolate. Arrange ribbon and attach with pre-crystallised chocolate.