Rich Chocolate Drambuie Fruitcake Recipes

CHOCOLATE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Put the butter, sugar, chocolate, brandy, vanilla and dried fruits into a large saucepan. Heat gently, stirring occasionally until everything has melted together. Remove from the heat.
• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep cake tin, 20cm round or 18cm square, with a double layer of baking parchment. Wrap a few layers of newspaper around the outside and secure with string.
• Mix the flour, almonds, cocoa and spice together. Stir the eggs into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture in the saucepan, followed by the flour mixture. Scrape into your prepared tin and bake for 1½ hrs- 1 hr 45 mins or until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Cool in the tin, then decorate (see 'Goes well with', right, for decoration ideas). Greaseproof-wrapped cake will keep for 2 months in an airtight container.

RICH FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• The night before, pour 75ml of the brandy over the fruit, cover and leave to sit, letting the fruit soak up the alcohol.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line a deep, 25cm square cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside, so that it comes about 2.5cm above the sides of the tin, and secure with string.
• Sift the flour, spices, cocoa powder and ½ tsp salt together. Mix a third of this mixture into the soaked fruit. Cream the butter, zests and sugar until light and fluffy, stir in the treacle, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in half the remaining flour mixture. Once mixed, fold in the fruit mixture followed by the remaining flour mixture.
• Spoon into the prepared tin, smoothing the top with a palette knife. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hrs 30 mins, checking the cake with 15 mins to go. When a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, it's ready.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 30 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. To store, peel off the baking parchment, poke holes into the cake and feed with the remaining brandy. Wrap well in cling film. Will keep for three months.

RICH CHOCOLATE DRAMBUIE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine fruit and 1 cup(250 ml)of Drambuie,honey and lemon rind,mix well,cover and stand overnight(I left it for ten days!).
• Grease a 6 hole Texas muffin pan(3/4 cup capacity)AND line base and sides of a deep 25cm round OR 19 cm square pan with 2 layers of baking paper and bring the paper 5 cm above edges of pan.
• Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer until just combined,add eggs one at a time,beating until just combined.
• Stir in fruit mixture,chocolate,nuts,then sifted flours and cocoa in halves,mix well.
• Place level 3/4 cups of mixture into each hole of the pan.spread remainder into other pan,decorate tops with extra pecans or cherries if desired.
• Muffins take 1+1/2 hours in a very slow oven,cake slow oven 3 hours.
• Brush hot cakes with remainder of Drambuie and cover tightly with foil.