The traditional Christmas fruitcake with a sweet, white fondant topping – by Amy Sinclair
Cook: 720 Minutes – Medium – Serves 20 – Vegetarian
The traditional Christmas fruitcake with a sweet, white fondant topping
Ingredients
3 cups sultanas (450 g)
1 cup currants (150 g)
1 cup raisins (180 g)
1 cup chopped pitted dates (130 g)
100 g packet red glace cherries, finely chopped
⅔ cup dark rum
250 g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 tsp finely grated orange rind
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup slivered almonds
¼ cup breakfast marmalade
2 cups plain flour
3 tsp ground mixed spice
250 g white fondant icing, to decorate
Icing sugar mixture, to decorate
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Method
- Combine all fruit and ½ cup of the rum in an extra-large bowl. Stand, covered, overnight.
- Grease a 20cm square x 8cm deep cake pan. Line base and sides with three layers of brown paper, then three layers baking paper, both extending 5cm above pan edges.
- Beat butter, sugar and rinds in a small bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Stir into fruit mixture with almonds and marmalade.
- Sift over combined flour and spice. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth over top. Wrap three layers of newspaper around outside of pan, securing with string.
- Cook in a slow oven (150C) for about 3 hours and 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil during cooking if top starts to over-brown. Remove. Brush remaining rum over top. Leave cake in pan and wrap in a clean tea towel until completely cool.
- To decorate, knead fondant on a clean surface until smooth. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper until 7mm thick. Using a 6.5cm star cutter, cut out shapes.
- Serve cake topped with stars. Dust with sifted icing sugar.
