Menier Chocolate Christmas Cake

Menier Chocolate Christmas Cake

This Christmas cake pulls out all the stops, it is rich in dried fruits housed in a decadent chocolate and spiced batter. Dense, flavourful, with hints of cinnamon and mixed spice.

Serves 15

Prep time:  30 minutes (plus overnight soaking time)

Cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients

225g sultanas

225g raisins

200g currants

200g glace cherries

150g dried apricots, roughly chopped

125g dried figs, roughly chopped

150ml brandy

200g unsalted butter

200g dark brown soft sugar

100g Menier dark chocolate, broken

1 tsp vanilla extract

2tbsp black treacle

200g self-raising flour

100g ground almonds

3tbsp Menier cocoa powder

1tsp mixed spice

½ tsp ground cinnamon

3 free-range eggs, beaten

Method

1.    Place all the dried fruit into a large bowl and add the brandy.  Stir well and leave to soak overnight.

2.    Put the butter, sugar, chocolate, vanilla, treacle and soaked dried fruits into a large saucepan.  Heat gently until everything has melted together and is fully combined.

3.    Preheat oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas mark 2. Line a deep loose bottomed cake tin, 23cm round or 20cm square, with baking parchment.

4.    In a bowl mix the flour, almonds, cocoa and spices together. Stir the eggs into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture in the saucepan, followed by the flour mixture.

5.    Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1 ½ hrs - 1 ¾ hours or until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Cool in the tin, once cooled remove from the tin and wrap in greaseproof paper and store in an air-tight container until ready to decorate.  Enjoy!