Recipe Goodness: Candied Fruit Cakes

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.comOften referred to as Christmas cake, this quintessential favorite fruit cake doesn’t need any special occasion to be eaten. All it needs is some hot tea or coffee! These little fruit cakes are great for children’s snacks and you can keep them for a week in an airtight container: even if they become dry,  they’re still delicious dipped into tea or coffee. If you do not have paper molds, you can also make this recipe into a rectangular cake pan. If you’re a nuts addict, you can also add walnut or pecans to these adorable and festive treats!

Ingredients list

For a cake or 15 mini cakes:

• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 lb (250g)  all purpose flour
• 1/4 lb (125g) butter
• 2/3 cup (125g) caster sugar
• 1/3 lb (150g) of mixed candied fruit
• 1 3/4 ounces (50g) candied cherries
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F(190°C).
2. Soak candied fruits in rum.
3. Work the softened butter and sugar with a whisk to obtain a cream.
4. Add eggs one by one, then add the flour mixed with baking powder and stir with a whisk.
5. When the dough is well blended, add the candied fruit and mix gently with a spatula.
6. If you use a traditional cake pan, it must be lined and buttered before adding the batter. Bake for 40/45min, make a slit on the cake lengthwise: after the first quarter of cooking time, this will allow the cake to a get beautiful shape and aerate harmoniously. For a small cake, pour the batter directly into paper molds, and bake for about 20 min.

Check for doneness by pricking the heart with a knife; when it comes out clean, it’s done. Top the cake or mini-cakes with a candied cherry. It’s ready!