Italian Christmas cake

Ingredients

• 100 gm raisins
• 100 gm (about 7) dried figs, coarsely chopped
• 125 ml golden rum
• 375 gm dark chocolate (58%-60% cocoa solids), finely chopped
• 100 gm roasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
• 100 gm roasted almonds, finely chopped
• 50 gm candied orange peel, finely chopped
• 125 gm very soft unsalted butter
• 125 gm brown sugar
• 75 gm caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 100 gm honey
• 125 gm plain flour, sifted

Directions

1. Combine raisins and figs in a bowl, pour in rum, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature overnight to soak.
2. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 22cm-diameter cake tin and line with baking paper. Combine chocolate, nuts and orange peel in a large bowl. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula and beat briefly to ensure everything is well combined. Add egg a little at a time, beating between additions and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally, until incorporated. Fold in nut mixture, soaked fruit and rum, lemon zest and honey, then add flour and fold to combine well.
3. Pour batter into prepared tin, smooth top, and bake until golden and centre of cake springs back when lightly pressed (40-50 minutes; it may feel slightly undercooked, but the chocolate will firm up as the cake cools.
4. Cool in tin then turn out and cool completely. Cake will keep in an airtight container for 5 weeks.