If you prepare this cake some days before eating, it will get tastier. Once cool, you can store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Serves: 25
INGREDIENTS
200g butter or margarine, creamy
1 cup (120g) icing sugar
5 eggs
3 cups (360g) flour
1 cup (100g) cornflour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup (150g) raisins
½ cup lemoncello (lemon liqueur)
3 tablespoons cognac
3 cups glacé (candied) fruit
1 cup glacé (candied) orange rind
2 tablespoons flour
To decorate
3 tablespoons icing sugar
white couverture chocolate
dark couverture chocolate
cherries in syrup
PREPARATION
Place raisins in a bowl. Soak in lemoncello and cognac. Cover with plastic food wrap and set aside in the fridge for 4 – 5 days.
Some minutes before preparing the cake, grease and flour a 34x12cm loaf tin. Put it in the fridge until needed.
Drain raisins. Reserve liquid.
Beat butter at room temperature for 3 minutes (with electric mixer). Add sugar and keep beating until creamy.
Place eggs in a bowl and whisk them slightly. Beat them into mixture.
Sift flour, cornflour, salt and baking powder. Stir into mixture alternately with the liquid of the macerated raisins. Mix in fruit.
Divide mixture into two halves. Add cocoa powder to one of the halves until well blended. Pour both mixtures into the loaf tin and swirl with a spoon to create the marbled effect.
Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 hour.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before turning.
Decorating the cake
Place icing sugar in a bowl and gradually stir in hot water, mixing well after each addition of water, until creamy and thick.
Heat in the microwave oven for 20 seconds or in a double boiler, to warm up the icing.
Spread over cake like threads.
Do the same with melted white and dark chocolate. (Melt chocolate in a double boiler).
Arrange the cherries on top, pressing them onto the melted chocolate