Don’t want to serve store-bought fruit cake, but don’t have enough time to make your own from scratch? Here’s the inbetween that tastes just as good so you won’t feel have to feel too guilty about cutting corners.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups mixed dried fruit
- ¾ cup glace cherries
- ¾ cup brandy
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- 1 tbsp mixed spice
- Two 600 g packets vanilla mud cake
TOPPING
- Whisked egg white
- Caster sugar
- Icing sugar
Steps
In a bowl, combine 1½ cups mixed dried fruit, ¾ cup glace cherries and ½ cup brandy. Soak for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to slow, 150 C. Grease and double line a deep 20 cm-round cake pan with baking paper, extending paper 3 cm above edge.
Combine two 600 g packets vanilla mud cake and prepare following packet instructions, reducing liquid by ½ cup. Stir in soaked fruit, ½ cup slivered almonds and 1 tbsp mixed spice.
Spoon into pan, smoothing top. Bake for 2 hours, covering with foil halfway, until cooked when tested.
Brush warm cake with ¼ cup brandy. Cool in pan, loosely covered with foil.
TOPPING Dip fruit in a whisked egg white then coat in caster sugar. Dry on a rack. Dust cake with icing sugar and arrange fruit and fondant stars on top.
Photo: Rob Shaw/bauersyndication.com.au