2017 is coming to end and I can’t believe how fast this year has gone by. I’m looking forward to my Christmas and New Year break, and I guess most of you must be looking for the holidays and spending time with family. I wish all my readers and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May this new year bring you all happiness, prosperity and good health. This is my last post for the year, see you next year with new recipes 
I have tried quiet a few fruit cake recipes, but this cake one of the best fruit cakes I ever tasted. It’s dark, moist and rich with a slight hint of chocolate and spice. This chocolate fruit cake recipe is adapted from Nigella Lawson. Usually for fruit cakes, we soak the dry fruits in rum or brandy for couple of weeks, but in this cake we boil the fruits and let it is sit for sometime to develop the flavors and plump the fruits. You can use any dry fruits, but I would recommend not to skip the prunes as it makes the cake rich and moist. For a non-alcoholic version, use orange juice or coffee extract. It’s a simple and easy recipe that requires just one bowl. It does take few hours to prep, bake and rest but I promise you it’s worth the wait.
Ingredients:
3 cups pitted prunes, chopped
1¾ cups raisins
1 cup currants
175 g unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup honey
½ cup Tia Maria or other coffee liqueur
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
1 tsp mixed spice
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup almond meal
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Method:
1. Preheat the oven 150°C/300°F. Line the sides and bottom of a 8-inch round spring form cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment. The paper should come up higher than the sides of the tin.
2. In a large saucepan, add the prunes, raisins, currants, butter, sugar, honey, Tia Maria, orange juice and zests, mixed spice and bring to the boil gently, stirring as the butter melts. Simmer for 10 minutes and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
3. Add the beaten eggs, all-purpose flour, almond meal, baking powder and baking soda and stir with a spatula to combine.
4. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin. Place in the oven and bake for 1¾–2 hours till the top of the cake is firm but will have a shiny and sticky look. If you insert a cake tester into the centre of the cake it will still be a little gooey in the middle.
5.Put the cake on a cooling rack. Once it’s cool, remove from the tin.
Notes and Tips
- For a non-alcoholic version, use orange juice or coffee extract.
- Mixed spice is a blend of coriander, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.
