Alternative Christmas Cake

9:11am Wednesday 14th November 2007

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Servings: 10 individual cakes Great for festive foodie gifts !

Ingredients

225g light brown Muscovado sugar
225g Unsalted Butter
225g cake flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp Moir's bicarbonate of Soda
Pinches of Salt
4 med eggs, beaten
1 tbsp black treacle
1 apple, peeled and grated
1 orange, grated rind
250g raisins
250g currants
250g sultanas
75 g Dates ( chopped)
65g chopped hazelnuts or walnuts
1 drop brandy essence

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 140C/gas mark 1 and put a shelf onto the centre runner.

2. Grease 10 x 10cm tins using a little of the butter and line with baking parchment.

3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, sieve in the flour with the spices, bicarbonate of soda and salt and add the beaten eggs, treacle, apple and orange rind.

4. Add the fruit and nuts to the bowl, and mix together.

5. Finally add in the brandy essence and Whisky and mix together thoroughly.

6. Spoon the mixture evenly between the tins and press down lightly with the back of a spoon to even out the mix.

7. Bake for around 55 mins - 1 hour or until cooked. (Check if it's cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre - if the skewer comes out gooey then leave the cake in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean.

Cook's notes: You can make this a normal sized Christmas cake or it will make 10 individual cakes.

Note - try using baked bean tins, washed out and lined with baking parchment to make the individual cakes.