Recipe: Perfect Chocolate Christmas Fruit Cake

Chocolate Christmas Fruit Cake. Come See our Unique Cake Gifts! Check out our new Mini Cake Explosion Boxes and Mini Cake Variety Packs Find Out How To Bake Delicious Cakes. I also made this cake for Christmas and was very disappointed.

This chocolate fruit cake is a little out of my comfort zone - but I just had to give it a try. I was watching Nigella's Christmas special last holiday season, and saw her make a fantastic chocolate fruit cake. If you insert a cake tester into the centre of the cake it will still be a little gooey in the middle. You can have Chocolate Christmas Fruit Cake using 17 ingredients and 5 steps. Here is how you cook that.

Ingredients of Chocolate Christmas Fruit Cake

Prepare 2 cups of chopped Dry Fruits of your choice (Dates, Prunes, Cranberries, Figs, Raisins, Sultanas, Apricots).
You need 1 cup of Dark Rum (Whisky, Sherry or Brandy will also do).
It's 250 grams of Black raisins.
Prepare 250 grams of Dried soft prunes.
It's 1/4 cup of Honey.
You need 2 of Oranges, zest and juice.
Prepare 1 teaspoon of Mixed spice- (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg).
Prepare 2 tablespoons of Cocoa powder.
Prepare 3 tablespoons of Grape Juice.
You need 3/4 cup of Butter.
Prepare 3/4 cup of Dark brown sugar.
It's 3 medium of Eggs.
You need 1 1/4 cups of All purpose Flour.
You need 1/2 cup of Ground almonds (with or without skin)-.
You need 1/2 teaspoon of Baking powder.
It's 1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda.
You need pinch of Salt.

Put the cake on a cooling rack. This Christmas fruit cake was a breeze to make since I did not have to prepare the caramel. A sinfully rich Chocolate Fruit cake with mixed fruits that have been steeped in rum for over a year, cocoa powder and mixed spice. Place dried pineapple, raisins, apricots, dates, cranberries, and brandy in a large microwave safe bowl and stir to combine.

Chocolate Christmas Fruit Cake instructions

In a clean, dry glass jar, add the chopped dry fruits and the rum and mix well together with a wooden spoon. Seal the jar and keep in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Every 2-3 days, give the fruit a mix and add about ¼ cup more rum if it looks too dry. You can soak the dry fruits for 1 – 4 weeks before you bake the cake..
Reheat the oven to 150 degrees for 10 minutes. In a broad pan, add the raisins and chopped prunes. Add butter, mixed spice powder, dark brown sugar, honey, orange zest from 2 oranges and orange juice from 1 and 1/2 orange add remaining half at-last if needed..
Add cocoa powder, grape juice and bring the mixture to boil in low flame. It takes about 5-8 minutes to start the mixture to bubble. Once the bubbles start to appear on the edges, switch off the gas and allow the mixture to cool for about 30 minutes. Prepare the cake tin by lining bottom and the sides of the cake. To protect the top of the cake from burning keep the side little larger the tin..
In a blender jar, add the blanched or whole almonds and make a powder. In a separate bowl add the all purpose flour, ground almonds, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and mix with a whisk to combine well. After around 30 minutes, once the mixture has cooled a little, add the beaten eggs. Now add this flour almond mix into the fruit mixture and mix with a spatula until the ingredients have combined..
If you feel the batter is thick drizzle little orange juice now to loosen the batter. Carefully pour the fruit cake mixture into the lined 20 cm with minimum of 7-8 cm height cake tin. Cover the cake tin with another wax paper on top to prevent the sides from burning. Transfer the cake tin to the oven and bake for around 1 and 3/4 to 2 hours, or until the top of the cake is firm. If you insert a sharp knife into the middle of the cake the knife should come out clean..

Chocolate Christmas Cake, also known as Panforte Italian Christmas Cake, is an easy to make Christmas dessert, with maple syrup, nuts, dark chocolate, cocoa, spices, and dried fruit. A Christmas cake that's both vegan and paleo friendly with a rich chewy toffee-like texture. Serve in small slices or box it as DIY holiday gift. Nigella's easy chocolate fruit cake is dark, moist and delicious - loaded with coffee and orange flavours. Perfect for Christmas or anytime of the year.