Fruit and Rum Cakes with Cream Sauce

Preparation Notes

Plus 3-4 hours soaking for the fruit. This can be skipped, but the flavour will not be as good.

Ingredients

• 200g mixed dried fruit, i.e. dates, currants, apricots
• 150ml dark rum
• 100ml dark beer
• 90g butter, softened
• 90g light muscovado sugar
• 1 large free-range egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 110g plain white flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp nutmeg

For the sauce

• 200g white chocolate with vanilla
• 300ml double cream
• 2 tbsp white rum

To serve

• 4 cherries dipped in melted dark chocolate
• 4 physalis dipped in melted dark chocolate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Place dried fruit into a medium sized bowl and pour over rum and dark beer. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours (optional).
2. Transfer dried fruit mixture with liquid into a blender and process until a smooth pulp has formed; this takes about 20 seconds. In a large bowl or food processor, cream together the butter and sugar until pale in colour. Beat in the egg and then gradually mix in the molasses and vanilla extract.
3. Mix together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and allspice and gradually fold into the mixture. Carefully mix in the pureed fruit. Spoon mixture into pre-oiled 3’’/7cm diameter ramekin dishes and smooth over the top. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
4. For the sauce: Place the chocolate and cream into a small saucepan and heat gently until the chocolate has melted. Add the rum and stir well. Use a sharp knife to loosen the cake edges away from the ramekins, turn out into the centre of a serving plate.
5. Serve with a ladle of hot chocolate and white rum sauce with half chocolate covered cherries and physalis. Cakes can be made in advance and frozen. Cover the tops with foil and reheat from frozen at 180°C for 20 minutes.