Chocolate and orange cake with nuts
200g golden raisins 200g seedless sultanas 100ml orange liqueur, plus extra for soaking 200g unsalted butter, softened 100g brown sugar 50g molasses sugar 3 large eggs 150g plain flour 175g good-quality dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces 1 tsp ground mixed spice ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg Juice of 1 lemon 100g mixed peel 50g whole glaze cherries 75g walnut halves 75g whole hazelnuts, roasted
For the decoration: 2-3 tbsp apricot jam, sieved Mixed glaze fruits (orange slices, apricot, cherries etc) Mixed nuts (walnuts, pecans, pistachios) Gold leaf (optional)
Method: Put the raisins and sultanas into a bowl and cover with half of the orange liqueur. Cover the bowl and set aside for 24 hours. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 150ºC. Grease a 20cm (8in) springform cake tin.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars, using an electric hand whisk, until the mixture is light, pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, continuing to whisk. If the mixture looks like it is going to split, add a small amount of the measured flour.
Put the chocolate pieces in a heatproof bowl that fits over a pan of gently simmering water (the base must not touch the water), and stir until it melts. Leave to cool slightly.
Add the cooled melted chocolate to the egg mixture. Sift in the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg and fold in so everything is well combined.
Then add the lemon juice and remaining measured orange liqueur and mix together. Finally mix in the soaked raisins, sultanas, mixed peel, cherries, walnuts and hazelnuts.
Spoon the mix into the prepared tin. Level the surface and cover the top loosely with a piece of baking paper.
Bake in the preheated oven for 2–2½ hours, depending on your oven. Test to see whether the cake is cooked by inserting a thin metal skewer into the middle: if it comes out clean the cake is done.
Cool the cake in its tin on a wire rack, then remove from the tin, and peel off the lining paper. Feed the cake regularly with orange liqueur.
I do this by carefully pouring straight from the bottle, but if you prefer, use a small ladle. Wrap the cake in clingfilm until ready to decorate. This cake is best eaten within three weeks.
To decorate, warm the apricot jam and, using a pastry brush, glaze the top all over. Arrange the fruit and nuts on top and glaze these too. If you like, highlight with gold leaf for an extra special touch.