Trappist fruit cake

SERVES 16

Trappist beers are high-alcohol, full-bodied, complex, fruity ales brewed by Trappist monks. There are only seven Trappist breweries in the world – six in Belgium and one in the Netherlands. They have a fantastic history and brew some of the world’s greatest beers. Westmalle commenced brewing in 1836, Westvleteren in 1838, Chimay 1863, Koningshoeven 1884, Rochefort 1899, Orval 1931 and Achel 1998 – although Achel’s history traces back to 1648. These beers are also great to cook with.

125 g (4½ oz) unsalted butter, chopped

185 g (6½ oz/1 cup) brown sugar

375 g (13 oz) dried fruit medley

100 g (3½ oz) dried cranberries

50 g (1¾ oz) semi-dried figs, chopped quite small

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) sherry

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) Belgian Trappist ale, such as Rocheforte 10 (11.3%) – I like the extra kick the high alcohol content of this beer gives!

2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten

100 g (3½ oz/¾ cup) macadamia nuts, chopped

150 g (5½ oz/1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

150 g (5½ oz/1 cup) self-raising flour

Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F/Gas 2–3). Grease a 22 cm (8½ inch) springform cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper, allowing the paper to rise 2.5 cm (1 inch) higher than the rim of the tin.

Put the butter, sugar, dried fruits, spices, bicarbonate of soda, sherry and beer in a large saucepan over medium–high heat. Stir so that all the ingredients are well combined, then bring the mixture to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir again to ensure the butter and sugar are melted. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and place it in the fridge to cool it down. Once the mixture is lukewarm, add the eggs and nuts and mix them through.

Put all the flour in a bowl and stir to combine. Fold the flour through the fruit until well incorporated. Spoon the batter into the cake tin and bake for 1½ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, carefully remove the springform ring and sit the cake on a wire rack.

Allow the cake to cool for a few hours – if you cut it before it has cooled it can crumble. Although this is a full-flavoured and dense cake similar to a Christmas cake, it does not have the shelf life of a Christmas cake. Tightly wrapped in foil, the cake will keep for a week, in theory – but it won’t last that long as it is delicious.