Ingredients
Method
1.Combine fruit, 1 cup of the liqueur, and the honey and rind in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; stand in a cool, dark place for one week, stirring every 2 days.
2.Preheat oven to 120°C/250°F. Grease a six-hole (¾-cup/180ml) texas muffin pan; line bases with baking paper. Line a deep 22cm (9-inch) round or a deep 20cm (8-inch) square cake pan with 4 layers of baking paper, extending paper 5cm (2 inches) above side(s).
3.Beat butter and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until just combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir butter mixture into fruit mixture, then stir in chocolate and chopped nuts. Stir in sifted dry ingredients, in two batches.
4.Fill each pan hole level to the top with mixture; spread remaining mixture into cake pan. Decorate tops with pecan halves and glacé cherries.
5.Bake muffins 1½ hours (the cake can stand while muffins are baking). Brush hot muffins with half of the remaining liqueur, cover with foil; cool in pan.
6.Increase oven temperature to 150°C/300°F; bake large cake for 3¼ hours or until cooked when tested. Brush hot cake with remaining liqueur, cover with foil, wrap in a clean towel; cool in pan overnight.
The fruit mixture in this recipe needs to infuse for 1 week prior to making the cake. If you don’t want to make the muffins, spread all the cake mixture into a deep 25cm (10-inch) round or a deep 22cm (9-inch) square cake pan, and bake for 4 to 4½ hours. The cakes can be made up to 3 months ahead; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to a year. Make sure the nuts are of a similar size and shape when decorating.
Note
