Christmas Fruit Cake

Ingredients

• 150 g honey
• 50 g butter
• 150 g dried dates
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp ground cardamom
• 0.25 tsp grated nutmeg
• 100 g coarsely chopped almonds
• 300 g flour (type 1050)
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 3 tbsp milk (1.5% fat, as needed)
• 10 almond halves (peeled, halved)
• 8 maraschino cherries (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Warm honey and butter over low heat and let cool to lukewarm. Pit the dates and chop them roughly. Whisk the egg, salt, and spices until frothy, then fold in the honey‑butter mixture, almonds, and dates. Sift flour with baking powder over the batter and stir until a thick, heavy dough forms.

2. 2.

   Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, pour in the dough, and smooth the surface. Decorate the top with almond halves and cherries. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (160 °C fan; gas: level 2–3) for about 50–60 minutes. Let the cake cool briefly in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.