Jewelled fruit, nut & seed cake
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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

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 12

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 3 hrs

Method

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
Try

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.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo gailskitchen

    28 November 2007

    gailskitchen rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    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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  • Binder photo Jenny from South Africa

    08 February 2008

    Jenny from South Africa rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    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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  • Binder photo 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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  • Binder photo kazandibi

    02 April 2009

    kazandibi rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    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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  • Binder photo 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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  • Binder photo sayma

    18 December 2011

    sayma commented on this recipe

    where can i get a hot toddy mix?

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  • Binder photo 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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  • Binder photo 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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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 12

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 3 hrs

Add a ribbon for the final touch

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

  • 1 batch uncooked Hot toddy fruitcake mix (see link below)
  • 20cm thin cake board (optional)
  • approx 65cm length wide ribbon

FOR THE TOPPING

  • 50g butter
  • 50g golden syrup
  • 2 tbsp large unsalted cashew nuts
  • 3 tbsp whole blanched almonds
  • 5 tbsp shelled pistachios
  • 25g Brazil nuts
  • 85ml glacé cherries
  • 50g dried cranberries
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
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Per serving

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

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