Julia's Christmas cake

When an English Christmas cake meets Palestine's best produce.

Ingredients

1 cup oil

1 cup sugar

4 whole eggs

1/2 cup dibes (grape molasses)

1 cup orange juice

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cardamon

1 cup flour

2 cups zbib (dark dried raisins)

1/2 cup qotein (dried figs) in halves

1/2 cup mishmish (dried apricots) in halves

1/2 cup karaz (dried cherries)

1 cup joz (walnuts) in quarters

2 cups tamer (dates) in quarters

Method

1. Heat the oven at 150 C

2. Mix the eggs and sugar then add in the oil and molasses.

3. Mix in the orange juice.

4. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and spices together.

5. Blend together gently the two mixes until you have a homogeneous liquid dough.

6. Mix the dried fruits with the flour in order to coat them well.

7. Line your baking tray with aluminium foil then parchment paper, place the dried fruits and then the dough.

8. Let the baking tray rest for the dough to sink in well around the dried fruits.

9. Bake for 1h30 minutes uncovered. An hour into the baking check with a toothpick. If the cake is still soft but browning on top, fold the parchment paper and foil to seal it.

10. Once removed from the oven, transfer from the baking pan onto a wire rack to cool.

11. Seal well with the parchment paper and the foil and place in the refrigerator for at least one week before enjoying.

Julia's Christmas cake