Name: Chocolate and citrus fruit cake
Yield: Serves 12–14
Ingredients: 1 cup (160g) raisins; ¼ cup (45g) currants; ½ cup (85g) dried cherries; ½ cup (125ml) Pedro Ximenez sherry; 350g dark chocolate, finely chopped; 100g toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped; ½ cup (50g) mixed peel; 125g unsalted butter, softened; ½ cup (110g) firmly packed brown sugar; ⅓ cup (75g) caster sugar; 1 tsp vanilla bean paste; 3 eggs, lightly beaten; Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated; 100g honey; 1 cup (150g) plain flour; Gold leaf (optional), to decorate; Syrup; ½ cup (125ml) Pedro Ximenez sherry; 100g dark chocolate, finely chopped

If you’re looking for a fruit cake recipe but would like to try something new, this Christmas cake is for you. With dried fruit soaked in sherry to please the traditionalists, there’s an addition of chocolate and hazelnuts for the chocolate lovers, which takes this Christmas cake to a whole new level. After baking, decorate the top with gold leaf and serve with a sherry and chocolate sauce. It doesn’t get much better than this. It’s the perfect way to end your Christmas feast.
If you’re inspired by this and would like to check out other Christmas cake recipes, see this fig fruit cake with caramelised marzipan. There are also plenty of other Christmas dessert recipes to try, such as black forest pavlova or panettone trifle.

Ingredients

1 cup (160g) raisins

¼ cup (45g) currants

½ cup (85g) dried cherries

½ cup (125ml) Pedro Ximenez sherry

350g dark chocolate, finely chopped

100g toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped

½ cup (50g) mixed peel

125g unsalted butter, softened

½ cup (110g) firmly packed brown sugar

⅓ cup (75g) caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

3 eggs, lightly beaten

Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

100g honey

1 cup (150g) plain flour

Gold leaf (optional), to decorate

Syrup

½ cup (125ml) Pedro Ximenez sherry

100g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Method

Combine raisins, currants and cherries in a medium bowl, pour over the sherry, cover and leave to marinate at room temperature for 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Grease a 22cm-diameter (base measurement) cake tin and line with 2 layers of baking paper.

Combine chocolate, hazelnuts and mixed peel in a large bowl. Set aside.

Place the butter, sugars and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold in nut mixture, soaked fruit and any sherry, lemon zest and honey, then add flour and fold well to combine.

Pour into prepared tin, smooth top. Bake for 2 hours 30 minutes, or until deep golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean but with moist crumbs. Cool in tin then turn out and cool completely.

To make the syrup, combine sherry and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to melt the chocolate. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, or until syrupy. Set aside to cool.

To serve, decorate with gold leaf and slice. Serve drizzled with syrup.

Cake keeps in an airtight container for up to 5 weeks. Syrup can be kept refrigerated. Heat syrup to serve.
Tip

Recipe Jessica Brook

Jessica’s career has covered every corner of the food world from professionally trained chef, recipe writer, food editor, stylist and consultant. Jessica is an expert at crafting food stories and writing recipes. Jessica brings her food knowledge, technical skill, intrigue in the multi cultures of food and personal style to every recipe she writes.

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Ingredients

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