Menier Chocolate Christmas Cake
This Christmas cake pulls out all the stops, it is rich in dried fruits housed in a decadent chocolate and spiced batter. Dense, flavourful, with hints of cinnamon and mixed spice.
Serves 15
Prep time: 30 minutes (plus overnight soaking time)
Cooking time: 2 hours
Ingredients
225g sultanas
225g raisins
200g currants
200g glace cherries
150g dried apricots, roughly chopped
125g dried figs, roughly chopped
150ml brandy
200g unsalted butter
200g dark brown soft sugar
100g Menier dark chocolate, broken
1 tsp vanilla extract
2tbsp black treacle
200g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
3tbsp Menier cocoa powder
1tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 free-range eggs, beaten
Method
1. Place all the dried fruit into a large bowl and add the brandy. Stir well and leave to soak overnight.
2. Put the butter, sugar, chocolate, vanilla, treacle and soaked dried fruits into a large saucepan. Heat gently until everything has melted together and is fully combined.
3. Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas mark 2. Line a deep loose bottomed cake tin, 23cm round or 20cm square, with baking parchment.
4. In a bowl mix the flour, almonds, cocoa and spices together. Stir the eggs into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture in the saucepan, followed by the flour mixture.
5. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1 ½ hrs - 1 ¾ hours or until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Cool in the tin, once cooled remove from the tin and wrap in greaseproof paper and store in an air-tight container until ready to decorate. Enjoy!
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