Chocolate Fruit Cake

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup mixed fruit
• ¼ cup brandy
• 1 ½ cups cake flour
• ½ tsp. bicarbonate soda
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. salt
• 160g unsalted butter
• 240g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla paste
• ½ cup fresh ricotta
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup boiling water

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix together the mixed fruit and brandy and soak overnight if time allows.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.
3. Grease and line a 18cm cake tin with greaseproof paper.
4. Into a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, bi-carbonate soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt.
5. Place the butter and sugar into a pot and stir until melted, then put into KAMBROOK bench mixer bowl with the beater attachment and beat for 5 minutes or until cool.
6. Add the eggs one by one, beating well between additions.
7. Place the cocoa powder and water together and stir until completely lump free and then add to the butter, sugar and egg mixture, beat until well combined.
8. Fold in the dry ingredients and ricotta alternately.
9. Stir in the fruit / brandy mix
10. Place the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when poked into the centre of the cake.
11. Let cool for 10 minutes in the cake tin and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.