(25 servings)

Ingredients for a quick Christmas cake

Fruit
 300 gm raisins
 150 gm diced dried apricots
 75 gm orange peel, diced
 180 gm dates, diced
 1 cup + 2 tbsp (280 ml) apple juice

Cake
 1 and cup maida/flour
 3 eggs
 ½ tsp salt
 ½ cup oil
 3 tbsp molasses or sugar syrup
 8 tbsp unsalted butter
 1 and ½ cups dark brown sugar
 ½ tsp cinnamon
 ½ nutmeg
 ½ tsp baking powder
 ¾ cup chopped walnuts

Preparation guide

 Microwave dried fruit and apple juice for 1.5 minutes.
 Stir to coat all fruits in apple juice. Cover and set aside for 1 hour (to plump, soak and cool).
 For the cake, preheat the oven to 160°C.
 Beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add oil and molasses syrup, and blend well.
 Add salt, spices and baking powder and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating all the while. Now, add the flour.
 When it is mixed well, add and stir fruit mix (including all the extra liquid in the bowl) and walnuts.
 Pour into a cake pan, cover with foil and bake for 3 hours 15 minutes, removing foil for the last 45 minutes. A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean with no batter on it.
 Remove from the oven and cool before serving.

Health benefits. This recipe for a quick Christmas cake contains nutmeg, which is a wonderful digestive aid. It also relieves pain, strengthens cognitive functions, detoxifies the body, and improves oral health.

Also read: How to make Gingerbread cake