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Salted caramel Christmas cake

Salted caramel Christmas cake served on a cake stand

Salted caramel Christmas cake

Name: Salted caramel Christmas cake
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 2 h 40 min
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 14
Ingredients: 230g unsalted butter softened, plus extra for the tin; 150g pecans finely chopped; 100g hazelnuts finely chopped; 200g dates roughly chopped; 300g sultanas; 100g toffee roughly chopped; 225g plain flour; ½ tsp fine sea salt; 200g light brown soft sugar; 50g ground almonds; 4 large eggs; 2 tbsp black treacle; 4 tbsp spiced rum; 3 tbsp dulce de leche; 100g golden syrup; 50g unsalted butter; ½ tsp sea salt flakes; 50g pecans; 100g blanched hazelnuts; 50g flaked almonds; 50g plain flour

Esther Clark

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Serves 14

Easy

Prep: 35 mins

Cook: 2 hrs and 40 mins

A star rating of 4.3 out of 5.8 ratingsRate

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Try a modern twist on a traditional Christmas cake with this salted caramel version. Laced with chunks of toffee and dates, plus a crunchy, nutty topping, it’s a real treat

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

230g unsalted butter

softened, plus extra for the tin
150g pecans

finely chopped
100g hazelnuts

finely chopped
200g dates

roughly chopped
300g sultanas
100g toffee

roughly chopped
225g plain flour
½ tsp fine sea salt
200g light brown soft sugar
50g ground almonds
4 large eggs
2 tbsp black treacle
4 tbsp spiced rum
3 tbsp dulce de leche

For the topping

100g golden syrup
50g unsalted butter
½ tsp sea salt

flakes
50g pecans
100g blanched hazelnuts
50g flaked almonds
50g plain flour

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Nutrition: Per serving

kcal726
fat43g
saturates14g
carbs68g
sugars51g
fibre4g
protein11g
salt0.6g

Method

step 1

Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter the base of a loose-bottomed 20cm cake tin that is at least 7cm deep. Line the base with baking parchment, then wrap a wide band of parchment around the outside of the tin and tie to secure, so the cake won’t burn.
step 2

Combine both types of nuts, the dates, sultanas and toffee in a bowl, then mix the flour, salt, sugar and almonds together in another bowl. Beat the butter, eggs, treacle and rum into the flour mixture with an electric whisk until smooth. Stir the fruit and nut mix into the wet ingredients, then gently fold through the dulce de leche to create a ripple effect. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level with the back of a spoon. Bake for 1 hr, then reduce the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Cover the cake with a circle of baking parchment and bake for another 1 hr 25 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set aside (don’t remove from the tin) and increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
step 3

To make the topping, gently heat the syrup and butter in a pan. Stir in the salt, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds and flour. Remove the parchment circle from the cake, then dot the surface with the topping and bake for 12-15 mins more until golden. Leave to cool in the tin, then remove and decorate with ribbon, if you like. Will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2019

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A star rating of 4.3 out of 5.8 ratings

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