Chocolate, Cranberry and Ginger Bundt Cake

I love a Bundt cake at any time of year but I think the shape of them lends itself particularly well to Christmas cakes. I guess it's the effortless way in which any cake can look special and the round shape resembles a Christmas wreath. A couple of months ago I spotted a recipe in a Christmas crafting magazine for a Bundt cake and took note of the basic components. It included ingredients I knew I wouldn't buy and some which I thought just didn't fit. So here's my version of an alternative Christmas cake for those who don't like icing, marzipan, heavy fruit cakes or indeed cake decoration!

Click here for a printable recipe.

Equipment: 1 10-cup Bundt tin (I used the Nordic Ware Jubilee Bundt pan), electric beaters/whisk, 2 large bowls, small saucepan and glass bowl to fit in it.

Ingredients

7oz (200g) Self-raising flour

1oz (25g) Cocoa powder

7oz (200g) Unsalted butter, softened or baking spread

7oz (200g) Caster sugar

4 Large eggs

2oz (55g) Ground almonds

6oz (175g) Dried mixed berries and fruit (I used a selection of cranberries, golden raisins, blueberries and cherries

1 tbsp (15ml) Ground ginger

3½oz (100g) Plain chocolate, chopped

Topping

Around 40 dried cranberries

2oz (50g) White chocolate

Method

1. Prepare the Bundt tin by greasing it and then dusting with flour. Tap out the excess.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/Gas mark 5.

3. In a large bowl sift the flour and cocoa together and put to one side.

4. In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugar.

5. Beat the eggs one at a time into the butter and sugar adding some of the flour mixture if required.

6. In the flour mixture add the ground almonds, dried fruit, ground ginger and chocolate. Stir well until all the dried fruit and chocolate is covered.

7. Add the dry mixture to the wet one and mix until everything is combined.

8. Transfer to the Bundt tin, push the mixture down gently so it goes into all the gaps and level the top. Bake for 45-minutes until the cake is firm to the touch.

9. Remove from the oven and turn upside down for 10 minutes until taking off the tin.

10. Allow to cool completely before adding the topping.

11. Melt the white chocolate using a bain marie with the saucepan and glass bowl. Drizzle the white chocolate over the cake and then add the dried cranberries.

Linking up with Family Foodies with Vanesther at Bangers and Mash and Louisa at Eat Your Veg and my own Love Cake with the theme of 'December Delights'.