Description
A moist, spiced fruit loaf made with mixed dried fruit, dates, and chopped glace ginger, sweetened with dark brown sugar and topped with whole almonds.
Ingredients
375 g (about 2 1/2 cups) mixed dried fruit
160 g (about 1 cup) pitted dates, chopped
75 g (about 1/2 cup) glace (crystallized) ginger, chopped
60 g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
185 g (about 1 cup, packed) dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
310 ml (about 1 1/4 cups) water
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
185 g (about 1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
20 whole almonds, for the top
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (about 325°F). Lightly grease a 25 x 11 cm (10 x 4 1/2 inch) loaf tin or line it with baking paper.
2. Place the dried fruit, dates, glace ginger, butter, dark brown sugar, golden syrup, vanilla, and water in a large saucepan.
3. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool until just lukewarm.
4. Stir the beaten eggs into the cooled fruit mixture.
5. Sift the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and nutmeg over the fruit mixture and fold until just combined.
6. Spoon the batter into the tin, smooth the top, and arrange the almonds over the surface.
7. Bake for about 1 1/4 hours, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Leave the cake in the tin for at least 1 hour, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Adapted from the Ginger Fruit Loaf published by ABC News (Alison Alexander). Ingredient amounts, oven temperature, tin size, and bake time follow that recipe. Cup and inch equivalents are approximate. The source snippet did not say when the sugar goes in, so it is added to the saucepan here; the slice count and prep time are estimates, and the recipe has not been tested.
Other dried fruit can be used as long as the total weight stays the same.
Golden syrup can be replaced with light corn syrup or honey.
Nutrition is an approximate estimate per slice (12 slices).
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus cooling)
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Australian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 326
- Sugar: 52g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 66g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 41mg