Jewelled Fruitcake Recipe

Jewelled Fruitcake Recipe from Cuisine-Asia.com
Ingredients:
200g raisins
200g whole red glace cherries... Read more
100g whole green glace cherries
50g dried figs
50g chopped walnuts
100g whole blanched almonds
1 tbsp grated ginger

50ml herbal liqueur
50ml orange liqueur

200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mixed spices (or 5-spice powder)

200g butter, softened
50g plain yoghurt
150g soft brown sugar
5 eggs (55g each)

10 whole red cherries
5 whole green cherries
10 whole walnuts
1 tbsp apricot jam, warmed and sieved

Method:
1. Combine dried fruits, nuts and grated ginger. Macerate in the liqueur overnight.
2. Line the bottom and sides of a well-buttered 20-cm pan with a double thickness of parchment paper.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, spices together.
4. Cream butter, yoghurt and the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy and beat in eggs thoroughly one at a time.
5. Fold in flour mixture into the batter, alternating with the dried fruits.
6. Combine well and turn the batter out into the prepared pan.
7. Bake the cake for 2 hours at 160 deg C, checking that the top does not over-brown. If it does, cover with a piece of foil.
8. When cake is done, turn out to cool on rack. Brush top with apricot jam while it is still warm and arrange cherries and nuts on top. Brush with more apricot jam to set.
9. When completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap and foil and store. It will keep in fridge and mature. Stores up to six months. Moisten with occasional drizzles of your favourite liqueur.

Note:
Serve thin slices of this cake to display the jewel-like fruits and nuts. A very cold dollop of mascarpone cheese elevates this to fruitcake heaven.