Christmas cake with a twist

This Sunday is stir up Sunday. The official day (last Sunday before advent) to get your festive bakes made. If you've never made a Christmas cake, or perhaps don't enjoy the tradition recipe, then my easy Christmas cake recipe is for you.

Inspired by American fruitcake. It's made using honey instead of sugar, and with dates making up part of the dried fruit. Which gives it a lovely moist texture, rather than the brick consistency a lot of shop bought options.

Easy Christmas Cake Recipe

Ingredients
500g mixed vine fruit
50g cranberries
50g mixed peel
One tray of dates (stoned and chopped)
3 ground cloves
2 tsp of Cinnamon
1 tsp of Ginger
One vanilla pod or one tsp of vanilla essence
3 satsumas (or one Orange) zested and juiced
250g self raisingflour
Two eggs
150g butter
2 table spoons honey

Instructions

Place all the fruit and spices in the bowl, pour over the Orange juice, stir well to let the flavours mingle and leave to develop whilst you make the cake mix.

Whisk the eggs, then sift in the self raising flour. Drizzle the honey into the mix.

Melt the butter, then gently pour it into your cake mix.

Stir the fruit again, the pour over the cake mix. The result should be very fruity.

Line a cake tin with greased baking paper, then pour your mix on top.

Place in a preheated oven at 150c, and leave to cook for an hour and a half.

Place your cake (still in the paper) on the side to cool. Once cooled place in a lidded tin, leave for a few days.

You will now need to begin the process of feeding you cake. You can choose alcohol- whisky or brandy. Or something no alcoholic if you prefer. A really good no alcohol alternative is earl grey tea. The smokiness and citrus flavours are a good match for the flavours of a Christmas cake.

You will need to feed your cake weekly or fortnightly from now, up until Christmas.

This post is linked up with #tastytuesdays and #tinseltuesdays