December 12

I've been making Christmas fruit cakes. Lots and lots of cakes. Two for family, two for friends, one for the cleaning lady, one for us ... and then there are also eight miniature Christmas cakes for a Christmas swap, and a couple of people in my team.

Luckily it's an easy recipe. The hardest part is having a hot oven in a hot kitchen on a hot day, but December hasn't been hot yet so it's all good.



For the little cakes, I divided a batch by four. Four little tins.



Into the oven.



And then out again, ready for giving away.



Michelle's Christmas Fruit Cake

1 cup sugar

440 g tin crushed pineapple, with a few tablespoons extra water swirled around the tin and put in the saucepan

500 mixed fruit

1 teaspn bicarb soda

1 teaspn mixed spice

125 g butter

not quite 1 cup plain flour

not quite 1 cup SR flour

3 tablespns cocoa powder

2 eggs

Place sugar, pineapple (and extra water), fruit, bicarb, mixed spice and butter in saucepan. Gently bring to boil while melting butter, stirring often. Boil for 3 minutes. Let cool.

Sift flours and cocoa together, add eggs and cooled fruit mix and stir till combined.

Spoon into greased and lined 8 inch round tin (I used a spring form tin)

Place in 175-180 degree oven for 60 minutes. Lower temp to 150 and bake for another 15 - 30 mins. Cake is cooked when skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin for 20 minutes, then turn onto cooling rack.

If you are going to make mini cakes, this recipe makes four of them. They take a little less time to cook (baked 4 at a time), but just play it by ear. The skewer should be almost clean by the time you turn down to 150 degrees.

I've joined Car's Advent blog-a-long. Check out the other blog-a-longers!