Name: Rich pecan and chocolate fruit cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 210 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 36
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cup (415g) sultanas; 2 cup (320g) coarsely chopped raisins; 1 1/4 cup (200g) currants; 1 1/2 cup (270g) coarsely chopped pitted prunes; 1 1/2 cup (240g) coarsely chopped dried pitted dates; 1/2 cup (100g) dried figs, chopped coarsely; 2/3 cup (140g) glacé cherries; 1 1/2 cup (375ml) brandy or grand marnier liqueur; 1/3 cup (80ml) honey; 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind; 1 large (300g) navel orange, rind grated, juiced; 1 small (150g) apple, peeled, grated coarsely; 250 gram unsalted butter, softened; 1 1/2 cup (330g) firmly packed dark brown sugar; 6 eggs; 90 gram dark chocolate, chopped finely; 1 1/4 cup (150g) pecans, roasted, chopped coarsely; 2 cup (300g) plain flour; 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour; 2 tablespoon cocoa; 1 cup (120g) pecans, extra

Rich pecan and chocolate fruit cake

The addition of sweet, creamy chocolate and nutty pecans is brilliant in this classic Christmas fruit cake recipe. Serve yourself a big slice and serve warm or cool with a drizzle of cream or ice-cream.

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Serves 36

Prep

30M

Cook

3H 30M

Marinate

168H

Total

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup (415g) sultanas

2 cup (320g) coarsely chopped raisins

1 1/4 cup (200g) currants

1 1/2 cup (270g) coarsely chopped pitted prunes

1 1/2 cup (240g) coarsely chopped dried pitted dates

1/2 cup (100g) dried figs, chopped coarsely

2/3 cup (140g) glacé cherries

1 1/2 cup (375ml) brandy or grand marnier liqueur

1/3 cup (80ml) honey

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind

1 large (300g) navel orange, rind grated, juiced

1 small (150g) apple, peeled, grated coarsely

250 gram unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cup (330g) firmly packed dark brown sugar

6 eggs

90 gram dark chocolate, chopped finely

1 1/4 cup (150g) pecans, roasted, chopped coarsely

2 cup (300g) plain flour

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

2 tablespoon cocoa

1 cup (120g) pecans, extra

Method

1.Combine fruit, 1 cup of the brandy (or Grand Marnier), honey, citrus rinds, orange juice and apple in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; stand in a cool, dark place for one week, stirring every two days (alternatively, you can microwave in 1-minute bursts on HIGH for 3 minutes or until fruit is plumped).

2.Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan-forced). Line a deep 25cm round cake pan with two layers of brown paper and two layers of baking paper, extending paper 5cm above sides.

3.Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until just combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

4.Stir butter mixture into fruit mixture, then stir in the chocolate and chopped nuts.

5.Stir in sifted flours and cocoa, in two batches.

6.Spread mixture into cake pan. Decorate top of cake with extra pecans.

7.Bake the cake on lower shelf for about 3 hours 30 minutes or until cooked when tested. Cover cake loosely with foil if over-browning. Brush the hot cake with remaining brandy; cover with foil. Wrap in a clean towel; cool in pan overnight.

Suitable to freeze. Fruit suitable to microwave.
Note

Women's Weekly Food

Trusted by home cooks for 90 years, The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Test Kitchen and cookbooks hold a singular place in shaping home cooking within the Australian culinary landscape. Today, the AWW Test Kitchen in Sydney is a thriving hub for food content, connected to two bustling photographic studios where a talented team of Australia’s best recipe developers, art directors, editors and photographers create our world class food content. Our recipes are thoroughly tested and tasted and given the Test Kitchen tick of approval, guaranteeing you’ll get great results in your home kitchen.

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