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Mini Last Minute Christmas Cakes

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Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 250 gm butter unsalted diced
  • 330 gm sultanas 2 cups
  • 320 gm currants 2 cups
  • 250 gm figs, dried chopped, 1 cup
  • 150 gm dried cranberries 1 cup
  • 1/2 cup golden syrup or treacle
  • 160 gm brown sugar
  • 1 whole orange zest
  • 1 whole lemon zest
  • 250 ml juice squeezed from the orange and lemon with water added to measure to 250 ml
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons mixed spice
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 4 whole eggs beaten
  • 225 gm SR flour
  • 150 gm plain flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon bi carb soda

Instructions
 

  • Pre- heat the oven to 170 degrees.
  • You will need 12 deep muffin papers or a Texan size muffin tin. Or even smaller ones if you like. ( you can make one whole cake too 10 in or 24 cm) Spray the moulds well or paper if using a cake tin around.
  • Place the first 13 ingredients into a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients. (That's everything except the eggs and flour) Heat till the sugar is just melted and the ingredients are combined. Stir well and cool.
  • Using the same pot, mix in the eggs then the sifted flours and bi carb. Stir till combined
  • Pour into individual moulds (or 1 cake tin) . Leave a little room at the top as the cakes will rise.
  • Bake until they are firm to touch for small about 15 minutes ( mini muffin) and up to 30 min ( muffin size) or a cake will take around 1 hour. Test with a skewer , it should come out clean . Remove then cool.
  • Ice these delicious little cakes or eat them plain. Find ideas below for serving.

Notes

Suggestions
You can use alcohol like brandy or sherry as part of the liquid allowance (instead of just juice)
You can also make this in a 10 in (24 cm tin) too!
These little cakes can be decorated with roll out sugar icing. Or you can douse them in a little syrup when they come out of the oven.
To make a Syrup
250 ml lemon juice or combo lemon and orange juice, boiled with 200 gm caster sugar for 5 minutes or until combined and shiny. You can add a liqueur to this too of course.  Replace some of the juice with alcohol .