Festive Cake
Recipe by Anna Gare from Quickies In My Kitchen
This is the cake my family gets treated to each year at Christmas or Easter. Every year it is a little different depending on what dried fruits or nuts I have in store. I’ve never been a fruit cake fan but the chocolate & meringue base makes all the difference & you can make this one a few days before as it will keep for at least a week in an airtight container in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 300gms dark cooking chocolate
- 100gms Almonds
- 100gms Brazil nuts
- 100gms Pecan nuts
- 150gms Dates (seedless)
- 100gms glace red cherries
- 100gms soft dried figs
- 50gms crystallised ginger
- Large teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 7 egg whites
- 150gms castor sugar
Method
- Place nuts & cooking chocolate into food processor & pulse until roughly chopped.
- Finely chop dates, cherries, figs & ginger.
- Combine nuts, chocolate, fruit & cinnamon in large bowl.
- Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually beat in sugar until dissolved.
- Fold egg whites into fruit & nut mixture.
- Spoon into a 25cm lined cake tin.
- Bake in pre-heated oven (180 degree C) for about 45 mins to 1 hr. (cooking time may vary depending on your oven)
- Allow to cool in open oven.
- Dust with icing sugar & serve with whipped cream spiked with a splash of brandy.
