FESTIVE BAKING
MINI RING FRUITCAKES
These scaled-down versions of a traditional fruitcake can be made just a week in advance.
MAKES ABOUT 12 MINI RING CAKES PREPARATION: 20 MIN STANDING: 1 WEEK BAKING: 35-40 MIN COOLING: 30 MIN
250g dates, finely chopped
500g dried fruit mix
100g glacé cherries, coarsely chopped
125ml (½c) almonds, finely chopped
250ml (1c) light brown sugar
250ml (1c) rooibos tea
60ml (¼c) sunflower oil
10ml (2t) ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
2,5ml (½t) fine salt
5ml (1t) bicarbonate of soda, dissolved in 15ml (1T) water
2 eggs
500ml (2c) cake flour
TO FINISH
125ml (½c) brandy (optional)
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease 12 mini ring-cake tins or 12 hollows of a muffin tin with nonstick spray.
1 Put the dates, fruit mix, cherries, almonds, sugar and rooibos tea in a saucepan and heat over low heat until the sugar has melted. Stir from time to time to prevent the mixture burning.
2 Mix in the oil, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Remove from the stove, add the dissolved bicarbonate of soda and mix quickly – the mixture will froth up slightly.
Beat in the eggs, then stir in the cake flour. Divide among
