Gorgeously Golden Fruit Cake
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLA CHRISTMASIntroduction
This is the fruity blonde sister to that brunette temptress, my chocolate fruit cake from Nigella Christmas. It delivers, as promised, a cake of apricot-pear-and-ginger goldenness and goodness, so squidgy and fresh-tasting, which comes perhaps not only from the amount of fruit in it, but also the lack of flour: this is a gluten-free treat for the greedy; fruit cake with the emphasis firmly on the first word.
The lack of flour makes for an exquisitely damp cake, but it does mean that unless you cut it into quite fat slices, it can break into fruity pieces rather than geometrically precise triangles. This is why it tastes so good of course. And, what’s more, it makes a fantastic pudding at the end of a seasonal supper.
This recipe is perfect for those of you who would prefer a change from the usual marzipan and icing covered Christmas Cake.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
This is the fruity blonde sister to that brunette temptress, my chocolate fruit cake from Nigella Christmas. It delivers, as promised, a cake of apricot-pear-and-ginger goldenness and goodness, so squidgy and fresh-tasting, which comes perhaps not only from the amount of fruit in it, but also the lack of flour: this is a gluten-free treat for the greedy; fruit cake with the emphasis firmly on the first word.
The lack of flour makes for an exquisitely damp cake, but it does mean that unless you cut it into quite fat slices, it can break into fruity pieces rather than geometrically precise triangles. This is why it tastes so good of course. And, what’s more, it makes a fantastic pudding at the end of a seasonal supper.
This recipe is perfect for those of you who would prefer a change from the usual marzipan and icing covered Christmas Cake.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Yields: 10 fat slices
For the Cake
- 350 grams roughly chopped dried pears
- 250 grams roughly chopped dried apricots
- 250 grams golden sultanas
- 175 grams soft butter
- 200 grams caster sugar
- 125 millilitres white rum
- 200 grams ginger jam (or preserve or marmalade)
- 225 grams ground almonds
- 35 grams sesame seeds (or mixture sunflower & pumpkin)
- seeds from 3 cardamom pods
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 large eggs
For the Topping
- 75 grams whole blanched almonds
For the Cake
- 1½ cups roughly chopped dried pears
- 1¾ cups roughly chopped dried apricots
- 1¾ cups golden raisins
- 1½ sticks soft butter
- 1 cup superfine sugar
- ½ cup white rum
- ¾ cup ginger jam (or preserve or marmalade)
- 2¼ cups almond meal
- ¼ cup sesame seeds (or mixture sunflower & pumpkin)
- seeds from 3 cardamom pods
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 large eggs
For the Topping
- ½ cup whole blanched almonds
Method
- Roughly scissor the pears and apricots into small pieces and put them into a saucepan with the sultanas, butter, sugar, rum and ginger jam or preserve, or indeed marmalade.
- Simmer for 10 minutes and then leave to stand for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C Fan/gas mark 2/300ºF. Line the bottom and sides of a 20cm / 8 inch high-sided tin with a double layer of Bake-O-Glide or regular baking parchment; the lining should extend about 10cm / 4 inches above.
- Stir the ground almonds, sesame seeds (or a mixture), cardamom seeds and coriander into the cooled saucepan. Beat in the eggs and spoon into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top.
- Starting in the middle, work in concentric circles as you place the blanched almonds on top of the cake batter in decorative rings (rather like a Dundee cake).
- Bake for 1 hour 40 minutes, then leave to cool completely in the tin. Once cool, take out of the tin, wrap with baking parchment then foil, before stashing it away in its cake tin or other airtight container. Though, unlike a traditional fruit cake, it doesn’t need to stand before being divinely edible.
- Roughly scissor the pears and apricots into small pieces and put them into a saucepan with the sultanas, butter, sugar, rum and ginger jam or preserve, or indeed marmalade.
- Simmer for 10 minutes and then leave to stand for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/130°C Fan/gas mark 2/300ºF. Line the bottom and sides of a 20cm / 8 inch high-sided tin with a double layer of Bake-O-Glide or regular baking parchment; the lining should extend about 10cm / 4 inches above.
- Stir the almond meal, sesame seeds (or a mixture), cardamom seeds and coriander into the cooled saucepan. Beat in the eggs and spoon into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top.
- Starting in the middle, work in concentric circles as you place the blanched almonds on top of the cake batter in decorative rings (rather like a Dundee cake).
- Bake for 1 hour 40 minutes, then leave to cool completely in the tin. Once cool, take out of the tin, wrap with baking parchment then foil, before stashing it away in its cake tin or other airtight container. Though, unlike a traditional fruit cake, it doesn’t need to stand before being divinely edible.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD:
Make the cake up to 1 week ahead and wrap in a double layer of greaseproof paper and then a layer of foil. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
FREEZE AHEAD:
Make the cake and wrap as above. Freeze for up to 1 month. To thaw, unwrap the cake and thaw overnight at room temperature. Rewrap and store as above until needed.
MAKE AHEAD:
Make the cake up to 1 week ahead and wrap in a double layer of greaseproof paper and then a layer of foil. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
FREEZE AHEAD:
Make the cake and wrap as above. Freeze for up to 1 month. To thaw, unwrap the cake and thaw overnight at room temperature. Rewrap and store as above until needed.
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Show more commentsThis is a great moist fruitcake! I have never been able to find pear so I use available fruits and combinations have all been excellent! I have made with dark rum and almond meal as well as light rum and almond flour. Have made several times and my husband always asks me to make again!
I like that the fruit cake does not have any flour. I cannot wait to try it. It will suit my Aunty who has a wheat allergy.
I made this supremely deliciously moist cake for the first time last Christmas. It was a resounding hit. I've already made it this year and substituted dried apples for the pears. Just as yummy and slightly less sweet. Yet another winner by Nigella.
I made this last week to satisfy my craving to make a Christmas cake and it was a triumph. It is a beautiful aromatic cake in the making and the simplest in execution which is a theme of Nigella's recipes. The most arduous part is snipping the dried pears and apricots to size (try listening to some favourite music while you do this).
The finished cake is luscious and moist and surprisingly gluten-free. I sold every slice in record time and had requests for the recipe. The lack of flour (gluten) always makes for lighter texture and easy digestion so this cake is a compromise in that provides copious fruit, alcohol and yet is not heavy on your digestion.
This is a not just for christmas, christmas cake! This cake is incredibly good. It will convert many fruit cake haters. The cake is rich and moist and absolutely delicious. I didn't have any blanched almonds so I decorated the top with walnuts, which added a welcome crunch. I also went easy on the sesame seeds and added some crushed walnuts to the mix. Finally, not that it needed it, but for shine, I did add a drizzle of fruit juice (lime and tangerine), sugar, and brandy.
Absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing, Nigella!
I am going to try this with a layer of marzipan baked in the middle as my Simnel cake this year ...
Wow - pear in a fruitcake? That's brilliant! How deliciously, wickedly non-traditional! I have to try this one this Christmas.