Negroni Christmas cake

PREP AND COOK TIME 3 HOURS 30 MINUTES (+ COOLING TIME)

250g butter, softened

1 cup (220g) firmly packed CSR dark brown sugar

4 eggs, beaten lightly

1¼ cups (185g) plain flour

1 cup (120g) almond meal half-quantity

2-in-1 Basic Fruit Mix

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Cointreau

TO DECORATE

2 tablespoons apricot jam

500g packet white icing (fondant) pure icing sugar silver cachous

1.5 metres ribbon

1 Preheat the oven to 140°C (120°C fanforced). Line base and sides of a deep 20cm square cake pan with two layers of baking paper and two layers of brown paper, extending paper 5cm over pan edge.

2 Beat butter and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition.

3 Transfer the butter mixture to a large bowl; stir in the sifted flour, almonds and Basic Fruit Mix.

4 Spoon mixture into prepared pan; smooth the top. Bake for about 3 hours or until cooked when tested. If the cake begins to over-brown, cover loosely with baking paper or foil.

5 Brush top of hot cake with liqueur. Cover the hot cake tightly with foil; wrap in a clean tea towel. Cool the cake in the pan overnight.

6 When cooled, turn cake out; leave lining paper intact. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

7 TO DECORATE: Remove the lining paper. Place the cake, upside down, on a board or serving plate. Warm jam in the microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Push jam through a small sieve into a bowl. Lightly brush the top of the cake with the jam. Knead ¾ of the icing together until just smooth. Roll icing out on a smooth surface dusted well with sifted icing sugar until 22cm square or large enough to fit the top of the cake. Lift icing, place on cake. Smooth icing by rubbing gently with a square of baking paper; trim edges. Knead remaining icing until smooth. Roll out as before to 3mm thick. Using a small star cutter, cut out stars. Place stars on a tray lined with baking paper. Allow to dry for several hours in a cool, dry place. If weather is humid, keep in an air-conditioned room if possible. Attach stars to the top of the cake with a little dab of the remaining jam in the centre of the stars. Scatter with cachous. Close to serving cake, wrap ribbon around side of cake and secure with a pearlhead pin. (Be sure to remove the pin before cutting the cake.) Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.