A really easy but impressive take on the calorie, fat and sugar laden traditional Christmas cake. No need to spend lots of time stirring and feeding this cake, you can prepare it in advance and freeze or make in less than 2 hours on Christmas eve!

Makes 20 slices

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 350g dried figs, roughly chopped
• 200g dates, roughly chopped
• 200g prunes, roughly chopped
• 50g dried cranberries
• 90g pecans, roughly chopped or crumbled 
• 200g wholemeal self-raising flour, sieved
• 3.5 dessertspoons mixed spice
• ¾ tsp nutmeg
• Zest of 2 oranges
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 350ml boiling water
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3/4 tsp almond essence
• 3/4 tsp orange blossom water

For the topping:

• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 40g pecans
• 30g cranberries
• 75g dried figs
• 10g blanched almonds
• 15g pistachio nuts
• 40g prunes
• 10g citrus peel
• 5 star anise to garnish not eat
• Gold edible dust/glitter

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees / gas mark 4
• Mix the dry ingredients (figs, dates, prunes, cranberries, pecans, flour, mixed spice and nutmeg) together in a large mixing bowl 
• Add the orange and lemon zest and mix again
• Add the water, the eggs, honey, almond essence and orange blossom water and mix together
• Spoon the mixture into a 23cm non-stick, loose bottom, spring form cake tin. (Or grease a normal 23cm tin or use baking parchment)
• Place on the middle shelf in the oven for 55 minutes or until a skewer comes out nearly clean
• Remove the cake from oven and leave to cool in tin for 5 mins
• Remove cake from tin and place on cake rack to cool
• Once cool brush the cake with a mixture of almond butter and honey
• Stick the walnuts around the outside edge of the cake and then move inwards with cranberries, figs, almonds, pistachios and peel.
• Place 3 or 4 prunes in the centre and top with one star anise
• Place the remaining star anise on top of the peel and pistachios
• Sprinkle the cake with the gold dust
• Serve as needed
• This cake will last for 4-5 days in an airtight container or can be frozen