Jewelled fruit, nut & seed cake

If you’re not keen on icing and marzipan, bake a crown of toasted nuts, seeds and juicy cherries onto your cake instead

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Good Food

3 ratings 5

Recipe by Good Food

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Tested

Difficulty and servings

Serves 12

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 30 mins

Cook 3 hrs

Make the Hot toddy cake (see link, right) in a loose-bottom tin, holding back about 2 tbsp of the mix for later. While it bakes, bake the fruit and nut topping. Melt the butter and golden syrup together, then toss with the nuts, dried fruit and seeds. Set aside; the butter mix will start to cool and thicken.
Take the cake out of the oven 30 mins before the end of cooking, then gently spread over the remaining cake mix with the back of a spoon. The cake will still be quite soft but will take the weight, don't worry about it sinking. Scatter the fruit and nut mix over the top in an even layer. Bake for the remaining 30 mins until the cake is cooked and the nuts golden. Test for doneness by poking a skewer through the topping and into the cake. If it's underdone, but the nuts are golden, just cover with foil and give it another 10 mins; then test again.
Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin, so that the nutty topping firms up. Loosen any obviously sticky edges, then push the cake out of the tin from the bottom. Transfer to a cake board or plate and fix the ribbon around the base before serving. Can be kept in an airtight tin for up to a week.

Special equipment

Most supermarkets stock basic cake-decorating ingredients (marzipan, icing, gold balls) in the baking aisle. Look in the kitchen section of department stores for specialist equipment, or try Squires Kitchen (0845 225 5671; squires-shop.com) or Jane Asher Party Cakes (020 7584 6177; jane-asher.co.uk).

Per serving

681 kcalories, protein 8g, carbohydrate 101g, fat 29 g, saturated fat 14g, fibre 3g, sugar 85g, salt 0.61 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2006.

Latest comments and suggestions

gailskitchen

28 November 2007

gailskitchen rated and commented on this recipe

Made this for an early Christmas party for friends who don't like icing. It looked and tasted fantastic and made a wonderful centrepiece. The topping is beautifully simple to make but so very effective.

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Jenny from South Africa

08 February 2008

Jenny from South Africa rated and commented on this recipe

This was by far the most delicious Christmas cake I have made. The topping was stunning. I shall use the recipe throughout the year not just for Christmas.

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sarajane

09 December 2008

sarajane commented on this recipe

I have made 14 cakes this year to this recipe and after having had numerous requests after I had made these last year.....The best ever......I think you should re-print this recipe for the folk who have no access to computers.... Thanks a lot

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kazandibi

02 April 2009

kazandibi rated and commented on this recipe

I cooked this for my father-in-law's birthday. He loved it. It was very nice and moist, a nutty topping was a better alternative to icing. I'll upload its photo to bbcgoodfood flickr pool soon. Looked fantastic :D

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kingtwig

21 December 2009

kingtwig commented on this recipe

Is this to be cooked on gas mark 1 or 3....regarding the hot toddy cake recipe? Thanks :o)

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sayma

18 December 2011

sayma commented on this recipe

where can i get a hot toddy mix?

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Witchcraft

03 December 2012

Witchcraft commented on this recipe

Is possible to still "feed" this cake in the same way as the hot toddy recipe even with the crunchy topping? I have made several as gifts and would like them to keep until at least Xmas

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Witchcraft

04 December 2012

Witchcraft commented on this recipe

Please help Is it possible to still "feed" this cake in the same way as the hot toddy recipe even with the crunchy topping? I have made several as gifts and would like them to keep until at least Xmas???

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