Looking for the ultimate indulgent Christmas cake recipe? Look no further! This week, The Green Kitchen show you how to make a delicious Christmas cake that doesn’t require an oven. It might take a bit longer than an oven baked cake, but the results will be worth it! However, if you have a steam oven, it will slightly quicker.

Ingredients

125g of softened unsalted butter

125g Soft Brown Sugar

3 medium eggs

180g plain flour

200g currents

85g Sultanas

85g raisins

60g Cherries

Peel and juice of 1 large orange

3table spoons of brandy (optional)

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of mixed spice

1) Add all the dried fruit to a bowl pour over the orange juice (and brandy if using) and leave to marinade for an hour.

2) Cream together the butter, brown sugar and orange peel until light and fluffy.

3) Slowly add the beaten eggs while whisking until well mixed (if the mixture starts to curdle add a small amount of the flour).

4) Sift together the flour and spices and then fold in to the butter, sugar and eggs making sure it is well combined.

5) Add the soaked dry fruits with the liquid and mix thoroughly.

6) Generously butter a 1.4ltr pudding basin and cut a small disc of parchment paper and press in to the bottom of a basin.

7) Spoon the mixture in to the prepared pudding basin and cut a larger circle of parchment paper, fold to make a pleat in the middle and then cover the pudding using string to tie the parchment paper down around the rim of the basin

You can either steam of boil your cake.

Steam oven

Cooking time would be reduced to 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake.

To steam

1) To steam, put the pudding in the top of a steamer filled with simmering water, cover with a lid and steam for eight hours, topping up the water as necessary.

To boil

1) To boil the pudding, put a metal jam jar lid, or metal pan lid, into the base of a large pan to act as a trivet. Place a long, doubled strip of foil in the pan, between the trivet and the pudding basin, ensuring the ends of the strip reach up and hang over the edges of the pan. This will help you to lift the heavy pudding basin out of the pan of hot water when it has finished cooking.

2) Lower the pudding onto the trivet and pour in enough boiling water to come half way up the side of the bowl. Cover with a lid, bring the water back to the boil, then simmer for about seven hours, until the pudding is a glorious deep brown colour, topping up the water as necessary.

Turn out and serve - you can make this pudding in advance and reheat when desired, to serve with a wow factor pour a tablespoon of brandy over the top and set alight!

Next week, The Green Kitchen will be gearing up for the all school Christmas lunch on Thursday, for an insight in to the wonderful food produced follow them on Twitter @BGS_Greens here.