50 g Pitted dates
40g Dried figs
30 g Dried apricots
40g Cranberries
40g Unsalted butter
35g Muscovado sufag
35 ml Runny honey
1 Unwaxed medium orange
1/4 tsp Mixed spice
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 Egg, beaten
1 tbsp Cocoa
2 tbsp Wholemeal flour
1 tbsp Ground almonds
1/8 tsp Baking powder
1/8 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
Pre-heat your oven to 140C. Line 18 cm cake tin with paper cases.
Pulse the dried figs, apricots and dates in a processor or cut with a sharp knife until chopped but not turned into a paste.
Zest and juice your orange. Reserve both juice and zest.
Put the chopped fruit and the cranberries in a sauce pan with the butter, cocoa, sugar, honey, orange juice and zest. Simmer for 10 minutes until really glossy and sticky.
Let cool down for 30min and then add the flour, ground almonds, spices, baking soda and bicarbonate and mix well.
Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases. Bake at 140C for 30min.
Check the mini-cakes are done by inserting a cake tester. These are gorgeously moist cakes so a little stickiness is expected.
Let cool down completely in the tin on a rack.
These cakes freeze really well in the but being fruitcakes they’ll last a very long time in the silicone container with the lid tightly on.
TIPS:
For a gluten-free version substitute the wholemeal flour for ground almonds and for a nut-free version substitute the almonds for more wholemeal flour.
For babies under 12 months substitute honey for rice brown syrup.
Dried fruit is high in FIBRE that helps keep us regular. It contains NATURAL SUGARS which are absorbed more slowly than refined sugars thanks to the fibre in the fruit.
Eggs are rich in protein to help us grow and heal. Additionally, eggs contain vitamin A that supports vision and healthy skin as well as riboflavin that promotes normal growth and vitamin
B12 that supports red blood cell health.
Complex carbohydrates like those in wholemeal flour and breadcrumbs help maintain our energy levels stable as energy from these foods is released slowly.
Almonds are packed with good fats to keep a healthy heart, protein to support growth and fibre to improve gut health.
Sugar contains NO nutrients only calories in the form of refined carbohydrates, that’s why it is important to only have it occasionally. In order to help balance your sugar levels when eating sweets, ensure they also contain fibre from fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds or wholemeal flours and protein from eggs, nuts or seeds.
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