Name: Christmas Pudding Fruit Cake
Prep time: 180 min
Cook time: 30 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 250g currants 250g raisins 250g apricots, chopped 250g cranberries 100ml brandy 4 eggs 200g self raising flour 175g soft butter 175g light brown sugar 1 tsp mixed spice 1 tsp orange extract; 500g white fondant icing 2 tbsp apricot jam, heated through (so melted slightly) Glace cherries Fresh holly leaves

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Ingredients

250g currants
250g raisins
250g apricots, chopped
250g cranberries
100ml brandy
4 eggs
200g self raising flour
175g soft butter
175g light brown sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp orange extract

Decoration

500g white fondant icing
2 tbsp apricot jam, heated through (so melted slightly)
Glace cherries
Fresh holly leaves

Method

Measure the currants, raisins, apricots, cranberries and brandy into a bowl. Cover and leave to soak overnight until all of the brandy has been absorbed by the fruit.
Preheat the oven to 130 Fan. Line a 20cm deep cake tin with baking paper.
Measure the eggs, flour, sugar, spices and orange extract into a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until the cake mixture is light and fluffy. Add the soaked fruits and fold in well. Spoon into the tin and level the top. Bake for 3 hours until golden brown and cooked through in the middle. Test if the cake is cooked by inserting a cocktail stick into the centre of the cake, If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked through.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Roll out the icing on a work surface dusted with icing sugar. Cut out a circle the same size as the cake. Cut out a wiggly half circle to make the shape of the top a Christmas pudding.
Brush the top of the cake with jam. Put the icing on the top part of the cake to look like a Christmas pudding. Put a cherry at the top and decorate with holly leaves.