Christmas rum cake

Name: Christmas rum cake
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 2 small cakes
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 200g glace pineapple; 100g glace apricots; 50g glace figs; 50g dried nectarines; 200g pitted fresh dates; 100g glazed orange slices (or homemade candied lemon or grapefruit peel); 100g glace quince (or more of one of the above fruits); 200g macadamia nuts; 3 tbsp rum or to taste; 100g butter, softened; 80g brown sugar; 2 eggs; 100g plain flour, sifted with 1/2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt; 3 tbsp honey; extra rum

Stephanie Alexander

October 19, 2011

Time:1-2 hoursMakes:2 small cakes

The fruit in this recipe is very sticky and it is easiest cut up with good kitchen scissors. Makes two small cakes, 13cm diameter x 7cm deep, or 1 cake 22cm diameter x 6cm deep.

Ingredients

200g glace pineapple
100g glace apricots
50g glace figs
50g dried nectarines
200g pitted fresh dates
100g glazed orange slices (or homemade candied lemon or grapefruit peel)
100g glace quince (or more of one of the above fruits)
200g macadamia nuts
3 tbsp rum or to taste
100g butter, softened
80g brown sugar
2 eggs
100g plain flour, sifted with 1/2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt
3 tbsp honey
extra rum

Method

Butter a cake tin and line with baking paper. Preheat oven to 180C. Chop all fruit into 1cm-square pieces. Chop nuts roughly. Mix fruits and nuts well and pour over the rum. Cover and leave overnight. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, alternating with the sifted dry ingredients.
Remove 1/2 cup of the fruit mixture and set aside for the cake topping. Thoroughly mix cake mixture into remaining fruit and nuts and mix well. Spoon into cake tin, pressing in well. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove cake from the oven.
Warm the honey briefly, add to reserved fruit and spoon over the cake.
Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes. Test with a skewer. Remove cake when skewer comes out clean and drizzle with an additional tablespoon of rum. Turn out carefully when completely cold.

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