Quandong Christmas Cake

Ingredients

250 g butter, chopped
1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar
1/4 cup (60mL) golden syrup
100 g dried cranberries
200 g quandongs or plums, pitted, chopped
200 g currants
200 g muntries or dried apricots, chopped
75 g macadamias, chopped
1/2 cup (125mL) brandy or orange juice
Butter, extra, to grease
11/2 cups (225 g) plain flour
1/3 cup (50 g) self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 Tbs baking powder
1 Tbs ground cinnamon myrtle or ground cinnamon
1 Tbs ground allspice
1 Tbs ground strawberry gum or ground nutmeg
1 tsp pepperberry or ground cloves
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

Method

Combine the butter, sugar, golden syrup, cranberries, quandongs or pluma, currants, muntries or apricoa, macadamias, brandy or orange juice and 3/4 cup (185mL) water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the sugar dissolves and the fruit softens. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl and set aside for 15 minutes to cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 160 C. Grease a 23 cm (base measurement) round cake pan with extra butter. Line the base and side with baking paper. Sift the combined flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon myrtle or cinnamon, allspice, strawberry gum or nutmeg and pepperberry or cloves in a bowl.

Add egg and lemon rind to the fruit mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the flour mixture. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, covering cake with foil halfway through cooking to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Set aside in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Credits: Coles

Photo Credits: Coles