Ingredients

• Chocolate Mousse Fruit Cake
• Serves 8-10
• 215g Food Lovers’ Market fruit cake mix
• 150g dried soft prunes, chopped
• 100g glace cherries
• 90g salted butter, softened
• 90g dark muscovado sugar
• 60ml molasses (or honey)
• 60ml spiced rum (or brandy), plus extra for soaking
• zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tbsp The Kate Tin Cocoa Powder
• 2 large eggs
• 75g self-raising flour
• 50g flaked almonds, toasted
• 50g The Kate Tin Dark Baking Chocolate, chopped roughly
Chocolate Mousse
• 375ml whipping cream, divided
• 170g The Kate Tin Dark Baking Chocolate, chopped
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
Chocolate Glaze
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup cream
• ½ cup The Kate Tin Cocoa Powder, sifted
• 1 ½ Tbsp gelatine powder

Instructions

1. Place the fruit cake mix, prunes, cherries, butter, sugar, molasses, rum, zest and juice and spices in a large saucepan and heat gently until the butter is melted. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely then cover and allow to stand overnight. Preheat the oven to 150C. Line 1 x deep cake tin 20cm round, with a double layer of baking paper. To the soaked fruit cake mix, add the eggs, flour, almonds and dark chocolate chunks. Pour the mixture into the lined cake tins and bake in the preheated oven for 1 ½ hours. A skewer inserted into the middle should still have a few crumbs clinging to it. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the cake tins. Once completely cool, cut the cake in 3 so you have 3 cake layers. Wash the cake tin and line the sides with a 10cm high collar made from foil or baking paper – this is to extend the height of the pan. Set aside.
2. To make the mousse, whip half the cream to stiff peaks then refrigerate until needed. Heat the rest of the cream to just below boiling point, then pour over the chopped chocolate. Allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth. Set aside. Whip egg yolks on high speed in a stand mixer until light and stiff. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer until the syrup reaches 120 degrees celcius on a sugar thermometer. Start whipping the egg yolks again and gradually add the hot sugar syrup down the side of the bowl. Whip until the mixture has doubled in volume and is body temperature.
3. Test the temperature of the ganache (it should also be body temperature), then fold the ganache into the whipped yolks. Fold in the whipped cream in 2 batches.
4. To assemble, place a fruit cake layer in the bottom of the prepared cake tin. Brush the cake layer with the extra rum or brandy, pour in 1/3 of the chocolate mousse, then alternate with fruit cake, rum and more mousse, ending with the chocolate mousse. Make sure to press the cake layers down into the mousse. Freeze the cake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. To make the glaze, bring the water, sugar and cream to the boil. Whisk in the cocoa and simmer for 4 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the gelatin over ¼ cup of cold water, allow it to absorb and then whisk this into the hot cocoa mixture to dissolve. Allow to cool completely at room temperature.
6. To assemble the cake, remove from the freezer and unmould (use a hair dryer on low setting to release it if necessary). Peel away the paper collar and place the cake on a cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake in one go, making sure it drips down the sides evenly. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes