Recipe: Mini Christmas Cakes

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Tummies might be bursting from the buffet, but Sarah Hobbs makes five classic Christmas desserts worth saving room for.

Mini Christmas cakes
Makes 6 small darioles or 1 x 20cm round cake

3 cups (510g) sultanas
11/2 cups (265g) chopped raisins
1 cup (155g) currants
1 cup (150g) chopped dried pitted dates
1/2 cup (95g) prunes, finely chopped
100g red glacé cherries, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125g) finely chopped glacé figs
1/4 cup (50g) mixed peel
3/4 cup (185ml) whiskey
1 tbs finely grated orange rind
250g butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups (300g) plain flour
2 tsp mixed spice
2 x 200g pkts prepared almond paste
1/2 cup (125g) apricot jam
1kg bought white fondant icing
Ribbon, to decorate
Silver leaf, to decorate

Royal icing
1 eggwhite
11/2 cups (230g) pure icing sugar, plus extra to dust

1 Combine the sultanas, raisins, currants, dates, prunes, cherries, figs, mixed peel, whiskey and orange rind in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside, stirring occasionally, for 2 days to macerate.

2 Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease and line the base and sides of six (¾ cup/185ml capacity) metal dariole moulds with baking paper. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, until just combined. Add to the fruit mixture with the flour and mixed spice and use a wooden spoon to stir until well combined.

3 Spoon fruit mixture evenly among the prepared moulds. Tap the bases of the moulds on a bench to settle mixture to the base. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centres comes out clean. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Turn cake over to sit on foil. Set aside overnight to cool completely.

4 To make the royal icing, combine the eggwhite and icing sugar in a small bowl to form a smooth paste. Cut six 10cm-diameter discs from a silver-covered cardboard cake board. Spread a small dot of icing on each cardboard disc. Top with a small piece of baking paper. Use a small, serrated knife to trim the base of each cake. Place the cake, cut-side down, onto each lined board. Fill any holes in cake with pieces of almond paste.

5 Heat the jam in a small saucepan over low heat until jam melts. Strain through a fine sieve. Brush half the warm jam over the top and side of each cake. Roll out almond paste on a work surface dusted with icing sugar. Use a 7cm round pastry cutter to cut six discs and place on the top of each cake. Cut the remaining almond paste into 5cm-wide strips and place around the side of each cake. Use hands, dusted in icing sugar, to smooth the surface. 6 Knead the fondant icing and divide into six equal portions. Roll an icing portion out to a 3-4mm thick disc. Brush the almond paste with a little of the remaining jam.

7 Drape the fondant over the cake and use hands, dusted in icing sugar, to smooth and shape the fondant around the sides of cake. Use a small, sharp knife to trim the edges. Repeat with remaining jam, fondant and cakes.

8 Decorate with ribbon, royal icing and silver leaf, if desired.