Brandy chocolate fruit cake

Makes 1 medium cake

Preparation: 15 min

Baking: 45 min

• 60 ml (¼ c) brandy

• ½ lemon, zest

• 130 g mixed dried prunes and raisins

• 250 g dark chocolate

• 200 g butter

• 5 eggs, separated

• 125 ml (½ c) caster sugar

• 5 ml (1 t) ground cinnamon

• 5 ml (1 t) mixed spice

• 2 ml (½ t) ground nutmeg

• pinch of ground cloves

• 125 ml (½ c) flour

• 75 g ground almonds

• cocoa powder for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line a 20 cm baking tin with baking paper.

1 Put the brandy, lemon zest and spices in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.

2 Put the dried fruit in a bowl, pour the spiced brandy over, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge until needed.

3 Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat.

4 In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with 15 ml (1 T) of the caster sugar until soft peaks form.

5 In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar for about 5 minutes or until you can draw a figure 8 in it that retains its shape.

6 Pour the chocolate into the whisked yolks and stir to incorporate.

7 Roughly blitz the soaked dried fruit in a blender and fold into the chocolate mixture.

8 Combine the flour and ground almonds in a bowl then fold into the chocolate mixture.

9 Carefully fold in the egg whites, in three parts, so you don’t lose any of the air you’ve whisked into it.

10 Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool slightly then turn out onto a plate and dust with cocoa powder.

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