Cranberry, Almond & White Chocolate Christmas Cake

Ingredients

2 x 250g pkts Cinderella Baking Cranberries – use the 250g product if available or 3 x 150g pkts
Zest and juice from 1 orange (1/3 cup juice)
225g butter, softened
1 cup tightly packed soft brown sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp baking powder
¾ cup ground almonds
125g white chocolate chopped into small pieces
1 -2 Tbsp brandy or cointreau (optional)
White chocolate drip glaze:
250g white chocolate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150°C (conventional bake). Line a 20cm x 10cm deep round cake tin with 2 layers of brown paper and one layer of baking paper to the base and sides of the tin.
2. Place the Cinderella Cranberries into a mixing bowl. Add the orange zest and juice and stir to mix. Set aside.
3. Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
4. Sift flour, cardamom and baking powder into the creamed mixture. Add ground almonds and stir to mix. Stir in the cranberry mix and white chocolate.
5. Spoon into the prepared tin. Using the back of the spoon smooth out the top of the cake. Bake for approximately 2 ¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin. If wished after 15 minutes pour 1-2Tbsp of Cointreau or brandy over the top of the cake.
6. Once the cake has cooled completely wrap in baking paper. Store in an airtight tin.

White chocolate drip glaze:

1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place in a microwaveable bowl. Heat on high for 20 second bursts until chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth.
2. Place the cake, on a cake rack. Brush off any crumbs.
3. To create the chocolate drip. drop tablespoons of the melted chocolate around the edge of the cake. Using the back of the spoon gently push some of the chocolate over the edge of the cake to allow the drips to run. You can push more or less of the chocolate over the edge to create uneven lengths of drip. Continue until you have gone around the perimeter of the cake. Spoon the remaining melted chocolate into the middle of the uncovered cake and spread it out evenly on the top. Allow the chocolate glaze to set in a cool place. If necessary put it in the fridge to allow it to set.

1. The un-iced cake will keep for a month but once glazed should be eaten within a couple of weeks.
2. To make the cake gluten free replace the 1 ½ cups  flour with 1 ¼ cups of gluten free flour making sure that the white chocolate and Baking powder are also gluten free
3. Replace the white chocolate drip glaze with glazed fruit and nuts:

Place 1 cup of whole blanched almonds on a baking tray and place in a preheated 200°C oven for approximately 5 minutes until the nuts are golden. Remove from the oven and cool.

Place 1 cup Cinderella Cranberries in a bowl with the almonds.

Heat and stir ½ cup apricot jam and 2Tbsp water until boiling. Allow to boil for 1 minute or until reduced by 25%. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve to remove any apricot pieces. When cool pour over the fruit and nuts and mix to glaze.

Place the cake on a board or flat surface. If the top is uneven, trim with a sharp knife to make a flat surface. Spoon the glazed fruits and nuts over the top of the cake to decorate. Stand to allow the topping to stick. Wrap a festive ribbon around the cake.

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