Heart-shaped Christmas Fruitcake

INGREDIENTS

Fruitcake:

• 600g sultanas
• 400g raisins
• 200g currants
• 100g glacé cherries, quartered
• 100g glacé orange slices, finely chopped
• 80g glacé ginger, finely chopped
• 290 ml brandy
• 1½ cups plain flour
• ½ cup self-raising flour
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 250 g butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 2 tbsp marmalade

Cream cheese icing:

• 450g cream cheese (room temperature)
• 225g unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cups icing sugar
  
  

METHOD

1. Combine dried fruit, glacé fruit and 1 cup brandy ina large airtight container. Mix well, then cover and leave for at least overnight, but preferably for one week, stirring occasionally.

2. Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease one 20 cm round cake tin and one 20 cm square cake tin and line the bottom and sides of both with two layers of baking paper.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together flours and spices. Set aside.

4. Using a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and electric beaters, cream butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add marmalade and 1 tbsp flour mixture and beat until fully combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture using a large spoon.

5. Add fruit mixture to cake batter and stir until combined.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake tins and smooth the surface. Tap the bases of the tins on your workbench to settle the fruit and remove air bubbles.

7. Cover each tin with three layers of baking paper. Bake for 3–3 ½ hours or until a skewer comes out of the cakes cleanly. Pour the remaining 2 tbsp brandy over the cakes while they’re still hot. Wrap each cake tin in a clean tea towel and allow them to cool completely. While they finish cooling, prepare the cream cheese icing.

8. Using a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and electric beaters, cream the cream cheese and butter until fully combined (3–4 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are evenly incorporated and beat again if necessary. The mixture should look light and creamy.

9. Add the vanilla and beat to combine.

10. Add the icing sugar and mix on the slowest setting until incorporated. Gradually increase the speed and beat until light and fluffy.

11. Once the cakes are cooled completely, cut the round cake in half to give two same-sized semi-circles.

12. Place the square cake on a serving plate, oriented towards you as a diamond. Then place the two semi-circles on the upper two sides of the diamond to form the rounded parts of the heart.

13. Smooth a thin layer of icing over the whole cake, creating a crumb coat to hold in the loose crumbs. Once the whole cake is covered, use the remaining icing to smooth a second layer over the whole cake. Add festive decorations of your choice.