Cranberry and Hazelnut Cake

 Ingredients: 200 g soft butter, plus extra for greasing the baking tray 100 g raisins 200 g glacé cherries, halved 100 g dried cranberries 200 g dried gooseberries zest from 1 organic orange juice from 3 oranges 50 ml Mozart chocolate liqueur (or Sherry, brandy, Disaronno or Frangelico) 250 g raw sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 large eggs 200 g wholemeal flour mixed with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 100 g raw ground almonds 100 g roasted and chopped hazelnuts 1 tablespoon mixed spice for baking (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves) For decoration: 1 lightly beaten egg white 400 g unrefined brown sugar cubes from sugar cane 1 tablespoon strawberry syrup, 1 tablespoon mint syrup, 1 tablespoon frozen blueberries 200 g organic honey marzipan

We start the process of preparing this delicious festive cake by preheating the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. While it heats up, we dedicate ourselves to preparing the cake pan, which we thoroughly grease with butter. Then, we line the bottom and sides of the pan with baking paper to ensure that the cake will come out easily after baking.

In a small pot, we gather the raisins, cherries, cranberries, gooseberries, orange zest, and juice, and for a touch of flavor, we also add our preferred alcohol. These ingredients are brought to a boil, and then we let them simmer for 3 minutes until all the dried fruits become soft and aromatic. After obtaining a delicious mixture, we set the pot aside to cool, allowing the flavors to intensify.

In a generous bowl, we combine the sugar with the butter and vanilla, mixing them until we achieve a light and pale cream, full of air. We continue by adding the eggs, flour, almonds, hazelnuts, and the spice mixture, mixing well to obtain a homogeneous dough. Finally, carefully fold in the soaked fruits, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Transfer the mixture to the previously prepared baking pan, smoothing the surface. We bake the cake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. In my case, I left the cake in the oven for 2 hours to achieve a perfect texture.

Meanwhile, we take care of the decorations that will turn the cake into a true work of art. We roll out the marzipan and cut out the desired shapes, I choosing to create 3 reindeer and 16 Christmas trees. After cutting, we color the shapes with a mixture of syrups and blueberries, then we leave them in the fridge until the cake cools completely.

Once the cake is ready, we raise the oven temperature to 200 degrees Celsius. In a bowl, we crush the sugar cubes with a rolling pin, then add the egg white and mix until we achieve a texture similar to wet sand. We spread the obtained glaze on the cake and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes, during which a golden and delicious crust forms. After removing it, we let the cake cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled, we take it out of the pan and take care of the decorations. We place the 16 Christmas trees around the edge of the cake, evenly spaced, and carefully place the reindeer on top. As a final detail, we can sprinkle decorative sugar to add a touch of magic. Enjoy your meal!

 Tags:  eggs unt flour sugar fruits honey chocolate cherries oranges strawberries vegetarian recipes cake