Easy Microwave Christmas Cake

Ingredients

Serves: 8

• 750g (1 3/4 lb) fruit cake mix
• 110g (4 oz) mixed peel
• 75g (3 oz) glace cherries - halved
• 200g (7 oz) demerara sugar
• 150g (5 oz) butter
• 250ml (8 fl oz) water
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon dissolved strong black coffee
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon each of almond, rum, lemon and vanilla extracts
• 250g (9 oz) cake flour
• 1 teaspoon each of ground allspice, ground ginger and ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cloves, ground nutmeg and salt
• 100ml (3 1/2 fl oz) brandy
• chopped nuts, quantity to taste

Preparation method

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 30 mins

1.

Place the fruit, sugar, butter and water into a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes

2.

Stir well and add the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will froth up. Allow mixture to cool.

3.

Add the strong black coffee (this is to add colour). Beat the eggs with the extracts and add to the cooled fruit mixture. Add the nuts.

4.

Sift all the dry ingredients together and fold into the fruit mixture. Mix well.

5.

Spoon batter into a greased and lined (bottom only) microwave safe baking dish about 18cm in diameter.

6.

Elevate dish about 2cm off the glass plate and microwave on High for 30 minutes.

7.

Allow to stand for about 5 minutes before opening the oven.

8.

Turn out onto a cooling rack, remove paper and allow to cool.

9.

Pour brandy over the cooled cake. Wrap in foil and store until required. For even more flavour, pour over more brandy at least two or three additional times during storage.

10.

Decorate as normal.