FRUIT CAKES

INGREDIENTS

CAKES

• 125ml (½ cup) mixed citrus peel

• 375ml (1½ cup) mixed dried fruit like peaches, pears, mango, figs and cranberries, chopped finely

• 100g green pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped

• 125ml (½ cup) medium dry sherry

• 100g (125ml) butter

• 125ml (½ cup) castor sugar

• 2 eggs

• 5ml (1t) almond essence

• 125ml (½ cup) cake flour

• 50g almond flour

• 3ml (½t) bicarbonate of soda

• 5ml (1t) mixed spice

• 60ml (¼ cup) sour cream

• 15ml (1T) lemon juice

• 50g white chocolate, chopped

ICING

• a little icing sugar

• 250g readymade rollout icing (Sugarbird is a good brand that is widely available)

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180º Celsius. Butter four 250ml ovenproof dishes and then dust them lightly with flour. Shake off the extra flour.

CAKES

1 In a large bowl, mix the citrus peel, dried fruit, pistachios and sherry, and cover with clingfilm. Let stand for at least two hours, or overnight.

2 Using your electric beater, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat well after every egg. Add the almond essence and stir through.

3 Sift the flours, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice into the butter mixture. Stir through the sour cream, lemon juice and chocolate.

4 Add the fruit mix to the flour mix and stir well. Divide between the four prepared dishes. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife comes away clean from the centre of the cake.

5 Let the cakes cool down in their containers for about 30 minute and then carefully tip them out onto a cooling rack.

ICING

Sprinkle icing sugar onto a clean surface and then roll out the readymade icing until it is about 3mm thick. Press out four stars of about 7cm in diameter, and arrange them over each fruit cake.