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Port and Chocolate Christmas Cake

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Port and Chocolate Christmas Cake is a lovely twist on a classic boiled Christmas cake. Luxuriously Port soaked fruit and decadent dark chocolate make for a luscious cake.

I’m reminded each Christmas by a couple of close friends how much they don’t like fruit cakes. It’s okay guys, I’ll eat your share!

My mum’s traditional Christmas cake is a yearly fruitcake staple each year. This year I decided to change things up with a Port and Chocolate Christmas Cake.

Port and Chocolate Christmas Cake, a decadent rich Christmas Cake the whole family will love.

Port, or fortified wine as we Aussies call it, is a little unusual but a great addition to fruitcake. I normally use rum or brandy, port isn't a spirit I don’t usually associate with Christmas cakes. Then there’s the chocolate.  Not something I usually add to a Christmas cake either.

Port and Chocolate Christmas Cake, a decadent rich Christmas Cake the whole family will love.

When you soak dried fruit for a week or two in port something magical happens.  Then add some chocolate into the equation, which goes marvellously with Port, and you are on a winner.

It isn't a secret that I love good boozy soaked fruit Christmas cake

Glace cherries have been banned from my port and chocolate Christmas cake, instead the cake is studded with tart dried cherries. I leave the glace fruit for the other Christmas cake I make each year.

All our Christmas recipes can be found here

Port and Chocolate Christmas Cake, a decadent rich Christmas Cake the whole family will love.

I decorated simply with blanched almonds and pecans. Why pecans? A little personal homage to the USA where I purchased these particular dried cherries. I love picking up ingredients during my travels. I discovered these in the cherry capital of America, Traverse City, Michigan.

If you can’t find dried cherries, dried cranberries would make a great substitute. Of course, you could sweeten up the whole affair and use glace cherries if that’s what you would prefer.

Port and Chocolate Christmas Cake, a decadent rich Christmas Cake the whole family will love.

With a few Christmas fruitcakes on Belly Rumbles now, I think I will have to create a decadently spiced cake for Christmas next year. Something for my fruitcake hating loved ones. What do you think?

Sara xxx

Port and Chocolate Christmas Cake, a decadent rich Christmas Cake the whole family will love.

Port and Chocolate Christmas Cake

Recipe Author: Sara McCleary
Port and Chocolate Christmas Cake is a twist on a traditional boiled Christmas cake.  Port adds a deep boozy character to the fruit with the decadence of added dark chocolate.  The addition of dried cherries is a tart and tantalising surprise.
Important Note:   It is best to start soaking your fruit at least a week ahead, 2 weeks is even better.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 3 hrs 30 mins
Total Time 3 hrs 40 mins
Course Sweet Baking
Cuisine English
Servings 20
Calories 487 kcal

Ingredients

Soaking Fruit Ingredients

  • 400 grams sultanas
  • 400 grams raisins
  • 300 grams dried cherries
  • 625 ml (2 ½ cups) port

Cake Ingredients

  • 80 ml (onw third cup) treacle
  • 1 orange, zest and juice
  • 250 grams butter
  • 220 grams (1 cup) dark brown sugar
  • 20 ml vanilla bean paste
  • 4 eggs
  • 300 grams (2 cups) plain flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 7 grams (1 tablespoon) mixed spice
  • 7 grams (1 tablespoon) nutmeg
  • 7 grams (1 tablespoon) cinnamon
  • 200 grams dark chocolate, chopped
  • pecans and blanched almonds to decorate
  • extra port for brushing

Instructions
 

Soaking the Fruit

  • Place sultanas, raisins and dried cherries in a large plastic container with a lid.  Pour port over and mix well.  Soak for a minimum of 24 hours (see notes).

Making the Cake

  • Grease and line a 23cm (9") round cake tin.  Wrap the outside of the tin with a couple of sheets of brown paper, secured with baking string.
    If you are using a modern thick walled cake tin you can skip the brown paper step.
  • Preheat oven 150 deg C (300 deg F).
  • Stir treacle, orange juice and zest to the fruit mixture.
  • Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat using a stand mixer or hand beaters until pale.
  • Add sugar and vanilla bean paste to butter, continue beating until sugar has dissolved.
  • Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
  • Remove bowl from stand mixer if using.
  • Add fruit and chocolate to the butter and egg mixture, mix until well combined.
  • Add flour, baking powder and spices, mixing until just combined.
  • Pour cake batter into cake tin.  Using the back of smooth the surface of the cake out evenly.
  • Decorate the top of the cake with pecans and blanched almonds.
  • Place cake in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 3 - 3.5 hours.
  • Cake is ready when inserted skewer comes out clean.
  • Remove cake from oven and brush the top with extra port.  Wrap cake in a towel and leave to cool.  This may take several hours.
  • Once cooled store cake in an airtight container.

Notes

Soaking Fruit
Fruit should be soaked for at least 24 hours.  The longer the better in my book.  I prefer to soak my fruit for at least a week, 2 is even better.
If only soaking fruit for 24 hours it is fine to leave on the kitchen bench in a container with a lid.
If soaking fruit for longer, due to the Australian summer, I store it in the fridge to soak.
Make sure to stir you fruit ever so often to entice all the fruit to soak up the booze.  If the fruit is thirsty and has soaked the port all up in a couple of days, and another ½ cup more.
Do I strain fruit before adding to the cake?
This will all depend if your fruit has soaked up all the port.  If the fruit is swimming in an excess of port when you are ready to bake your cake, then you will need to strain off the excess.  
Before adding the fruit to your cake, mix the soaked fruit with a spoon. 
When mixed fruit and liquid should all meld together. The thicker syrup style liquid happily incorporating itself with the fruit.  The liquid should simply be coating the fruit, the fruit not swimming in liquid.
The soaked sultanas and raisins should appear plump and rehydrated.  All going to plan the fruit should have soaked all of the port.

Nutrition

Calories: 487kcalCarbohydrates: 77gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 122mgPotassium: 560mgFiber: 5gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 895IUVitamin C: 1.8mgCalcium: 85mgIron: 3.6mg
Did You Make This Recipe?I do a happy dance when people share how they went. Tag me on Instagram or Twitter @bellyrumbles & #bellyrumbles

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