A great alternative to the traditional Christmas cake, you can use either dried, fresh or frozen cranberries in this cake although you do need dried cranberries for the topping. If baking with frozen berries, add five minutes to the cooking time.
1
Pre-heat the oven.
2
Rub some butter around the inside of a 18cm/7" round deep, loose bottom cake tin or insert a baking liner.
3
Chop the butter into small cubes.
4
Put the butter cubes and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.
5
Beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the grated orange rind.
6
Sieve the flour into the bowl and mix well.
7
Stir in the ground almonds and orange juice.
8
Mix in the cranberries.
9
Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top, pushing any exposed cranberries back into the mixture.
10
Bake for 50-60 minutes until a cocktail stick, pressed into the centre of the cake, comes out clean.
11
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
12
Dice the dried cranberries, zest the orange, squeeze the orange juice and set these aside.
13
Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl.
14
Chop the butter into small cubes.
15
Put the butter cubes into a mixing bowl or kitchen mixer and beat until light and smooth.
16
Continue beating, adding the icing sugar a spoon at a time.
17
Add the ground almonds and orange juice and stir to combine.
18
Spread the topping over the top and sides of the cold cake.
19
Sprinkle the diced cranberries and orange zest over the top.
