Christmas light dried fruit cake

Sometimes I like my Christmas fruit cake dark but sometimes light (like this). With all golden and creamy. Topped with rhum, it is a treat for everyone (except kids and pregnant).

Ingredients

125 g soft dried cranberries
300 g golden raisins
250 g light apricots, cut into pieces
200 g dried pineapple chunks, cut into pieces*
30 g crystallized lemon peel, small pieces
1 vanilla pod, cut open 
100 ml brandy or dark rhum
180 g butter, room temperature
140 g golden caster sugar
1 organic orange zest, grated
3 large eggs, room temperature
150 g all-purpose flour
80 g whole grain flour, medium grind
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp ground ginger 
pinch of sea salt
30 g peeled fresh ginger, grated

Prepare

Place the cranberries, raisins, apricots,pineapple, lemon peel,vanillaand half of the alcohol into a bowl, mix, and let rest for 24h or a few days (I let mine rest 3 weeks). 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 23 cm round or 20 cm square* cake tin with 2 layers of non-stick baking paper (sides and bottom). Mix the flour,baking powder, and spices in a bowl.

Place the butter, sugar, orange zest andvanilla been seeds (take out of the vanilla that was soaking with the dried fruit mixture)in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with a paddle attachment on medium speed for 8 minutes or until pale and creamy, adding orange blossom water 2 minutes before the end. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer still running on low speed, add flour mixture and mix in just until incorporated. 

Add the soaked fruit, gingerand mix well, ensuring everything is well combined, but do not overmix. Spoon into the tin and smooth the top. Place into the oven, turn down the heat to 140°C and bake for 2 hours or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Take out of the oven and spoon over the extra brandy while the cake is still warm. Cool completely and place it into the tin. You can decorate and eat it in the next few days or weeks. If the latter, please remember to pour over a few spoons of the spirit you have chosen every 4-5 days.

Recipe and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s