CHOCOLATE AND FRUIT CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Line the sides and bottom of an 8 by 3 1/2-inch deep, round loose-bottomed cake tin with a layer of reusable silicon baking parchment. When lining the tin with the parchment, cut the material into strips that are twice as high as the tin itself (it is easier to use two shorter strips of parchment, than one long strip); the height of the strips protects the cake from catching on the outside of the cake tin.
• Place the fruit, butter, sugar, honey, coffee liqueur, orange zest and juice, mixed spice and cocoa into a large wide saucepan. Heat the mixture until it reaches a gentle boil, stirring the mixture as the butter melts. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, the mixture will have cooled a little. Add the eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and baking soda, and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients have combined.
• Carefully pour the fruitcake mixture into the lined cake tin. Transfer the cake tin to the oven and bake for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, or until the top of the cake is firm but will has a shiny and sticky look. At this point, if you insert a sharp knife into the middle of the cake, the cake should still be a little uncooked in the middle.
• Place the cake on a cooling rack. Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin.
• To decorate, place the chocolate-covered coffee beans in the centre of the cake and arrange edible gold stars around the perimeter of the top of the cake (if you can find them- not listed in ingredients as Zaar will not accept). Then sprinkle some gold mini-balls over the whole cake and sprinkle the top with edible glitter.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180C.).
• A day or so before you make the cake, toss the cherries in 1/4 cup liquor. Cover, and let macerate (soak up the liquor).
• To bake the cakes, grease two 9-inch(23cm)loaf pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper and dust with cocoa powder.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer, or by hand,.
• beat the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Stir together the eggs and yolk with the vanilla, then dribble them in while beating.
• Mix in one-third of the flour/cocoa mixture, then half of the buttermilk or yogurt. Then mix in another third of the dry ingredients, then the rest of the yogurt or buttermilk. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients, and gently stir in the nuts, chocolate chips and cherries.(which should have absorbed all the liquid. If not, add that as well.).
• Divide and smooth the batter into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 45 minutes, or unril a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand on the counter-top for about 15 minutes.
• With a skewer, poke about 50 holes in the cake and spoon 3 tablespoons of liquor over each cake. Let cool.