Ingredients
- 3 sprigs of rosemary
- 100 g of icing sugar
- 200 g of dark brown sugar
- 200 g of butter, softened
- 1 kg of dried mixed fruit
- 4 eggs, medium
- 225 g of plain flour
- 5 star anise
- 13 g of cinnamon sticks
Method
Step 1
Heat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/Gas 3. Fully line a 20cm round, loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add 2 tbsp flour and the eggs and beat well. Sift in the rest of the flour and fold in. Mix in the fruit then spoon into the tin and level.Step 2
Cover the tin with a circle of lightly oiled baking parchment, bake for 2 hours 30 minutes. Remove the paper ‘lid’ and bake for a further 30 minutes.Step 3
Insert a metal skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean it’s cooked. If not return the cake to the oven for 10 minutes or so, then retest.Step 4
Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then remove and leave on a wire rack until cold.Step 5
To decorate, cut out a few stars from thin cardboard, place over the top of your cooled cake and dust with icing sugar. Tie some ribbon around the cake.Step 6
Make a bundle of cinnamon sticks and fresh rosemary sprigs using thin ribbon. Place on the cake with sugar-frosted cranberries and star anise.