Moist Fruit Cake


Canadian Cuisine

Cake ingredients:
- 200 gbrazil nuts.
- 1 cup (150 g) macadamias.
- 250 g pitted dates, halved.
- 200 g glace cherries.
- 100 g raisins.
- 100 g dried mixed peel.
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon.
- ⅔ cup (100 g) plain cake flour.
- 1 tsp baking powder.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract.
- 150 g caster sugar.
- 3 eggs.
- 2 tbsp brandy.

Topping ingredients:
- ⅓ cup (110 g) smooth apricot jam.
- 200 g mixed glace fruits (apricots, cherries and pears).

Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 150°C.
- Line the base and sides of a 20 cm spring-form cake pan.
- Mix nuts, dried fruits, peel and zest in a bowl.
- Sift in flour, baking powder and 1 tsp salt, and then stir in sugar.
- Lightly whisk eggs with vanilla, then stir into the cake mixture until well combined.
- Pour into pan. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack over a plate and remove baking paper.
- Pierce all over with a skewer.
- Drizzle with brandy, then wrap tightly in foil and leave in a cool, dry place for 2 to 3 days.
- Closer to serving, warm jam in a pan over low heat or in the microwave until runny.
- Arrange the glace fruits over the top of the cake in a decorative pattern, then brush with warm jam to set in place.