Cornucopia’s fig and rum Christmas cake

November 19, 2015 By Sandy

figs in rum and condensed milk

baked cake

Fig and rum cake

I love traditional Christmas cake, but this year decided to take a break with tradition and create a recipe which is equally luxurious and with a twist.
My original recipe is inspired by Mary Berry’s original boiled fruit cake and took four revisions to come to fruition.
It goes without say that you need to be a fig and rum lover (clue in the title!).

This recipe is for a 7″ (17.5cm) round tin or a 6″ (15cm) square tin.

Ingredients:

1 tin condensed milk (397g)
150g butter
750g dried figs, sliced into roughly equal slices (about 5/7 slices per fig)
up to 150ml dark rum
225g self raising flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground mixed spice
good pinch ground cardamom
1 tsp zest 0f orange
2 large eggs
baking parchment and butter for greasing tin

Method

Soak the sliced figs in the rum for up to 4 days, stirring from time to time.
Warm the condensed milk and butter in a saucepan and add the figs, cook very gently for around 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool.
Preheat the oven to 300F /15oC / gas 3.
Grease and line the bottom of your tin.
Add the spices and sifted flour, mix gently.
Add the two eggs which have been beaten together – again incorporate gently.
Pop mixture into greased tin, flatten the top.
Place in the middle of the oven for approx. 1 1/2 to 2 hours. It is cooked when golden on top, lightly risen and a squewer comes out clean – maybe with a bit of crumb on it. Err on the side of caution – leave in the oven for a few extra minutes if in doubt.
Allow to cool in the tin for around 30 minutes before carefully removing and placing on a cooling rack.

This should keep in an air tight tin (wrapped if you like) for at least 3 months. You can feed with extra rum, but it really shouldn’t need any.
If you want to marzipan and ice, ensure it is baked at least 2 weeks prior to doing this.

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