Dense, decadent, boozy, spicy and studded with fruit, Sara Morley’s homemade Christmas cake won’t just evoke memories of Christmases past – it'll also save you a pretty penny.

On her weekly TAFE Buds segment with Simon Wallace on ABC Riverina this week, the TAFE NSW identity offered some handy hacks to bake a Christmas cake that would make Ebenezer Scrooge himself giggle in delight.

“Outside of family, food is one of the highlights of Christmas and when I think Christmas lunch, I think glazed ham and cake,” Ms Morley said.

“Make it yourself, cook it from the heart and you will have a Christmas cake that is cheaper than a store-bought one and far more authentic.”

Ms Morley ditches the nuts for her signature cake, and instead uses two unlikely secret ingredients – cocoa and cardamom.

Throw in mixed fruit, Cointreau and some added citrus zing (on top of all the other usual ingredients), and you’re on the way to a truly festive day.

If you’d like to sharpen your baking skills or consider a career in cooking, there are a smorgasbord of courses available at TAFE NSW. For more information, visit https://www.tafensw.edu.au/courses/cookery-and-wine-courses

Sara’s 2019 Christmas Cake

Ingredients

• 900g dried mixed fruit (mix of sultanas, raisins, chopped prunes, chopped dates, currants or any other dried fruit of choice)
• 100g mixed peel
• 200g unsalted butter
• 175g dark brown sugar
• ½ cup honey
• 3 tablespoons cocoa
• 125ml orange liqueur (e.g. Cointreau)
• 2 oranges zested and juiced
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 180g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons of ground cardamom (or mixed spice)
• 75g of ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon of bicarb soda
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 50mls additional orange liqueur

Method

• Place dried fruit, butter, sugar honey, cocoa, liqueur, rind and juice in a large saucepan.
• Bring to a simmer until butter is melted.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least ½ hour.
• Meanwhile sift the flour, cardamom, almond meal, baking soda and powder together.
• Preheat oven to 160C.
• When fruit is cooled, add beaten eggs and mix well.
• Add sifted flour, cardamom, almonds, baking powder and bicarb soda and mix together until combined.
• Double line a square loose based cake tin.
• Pour in mix and spread into tin.
• Bake at 160C for approx two hours, or until it springs back in centre.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Remove from tin, then brush with extra liqueur.
• Wrap cake in a towel for two hours or until fully cooled.
• Store wrapped in foil in a sealed container in a cool dry place.