Alison Holst's pineapple Christmas cake recipe

Thousands of New Zealanders swear by this deliciously moist recipe and have used it regularly since Alison Holst made the cake on TV more than thirty years ago!

Full of tasty fruit, it's a perfect Christmas cake!

For a 23cm round OR square cake:

Ingredients:

• 1.5kg Alison's Pantry Supreme Cake Fruit Mix
• 225g butter
• 450g can crushed pineapple
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups high-grade flour
• ½ tsp each vanilla, almond and lemon essences
• 1 tsp each cinnamon and mixed spice
• 6 large eggs
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 50g each Alison's Pantry Razz Cherries and Alison's Pantry Blanched Almonds (optional)

Method:

1. The day before mixing the cake, put the dried fruit and undrained pineapple in a large fry pan.
2. Cover pan, heat until liquid boils then simmer until all juice is absorbed. Leave overnight, or until cold.
3. Mix flour and spices together and put aside.
4. In a very large bowl, cream butter, sugar and essences until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, adding 2 tablespoons of the spiced flour
   with each.
5. Stir in prepared (cold) fruit and remaining spiced flour. If the mixture seems too soft, add extra flour until the mixture will just drop from a spoon.
6. Put in a lined tin, levelling the top.
7. Decorate with blanched almonds and cherries if you like.
8. Bake at 150°C for 1½ hours, then 130°C for about 2 hours longer, until a skewer in the centre comes out clean.
9. Brush hot cake with ¼ cup brandy or sherry if you like.
   

Note:
Bake this cake without using fan bake.


Recipe courtesy of Alison Holst: www.alisonspantry.co.nz and www.holst.co.nz.