Ingredients
Serves 8-10
For the crumble:
- 110g plain flour
- 75g caster sugar
- 75g butter, diced
- 25g flaked almonds
For the cake:
- 110g softened butter
- 110g soft brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- Half teaspoon vanilla extract
- 175g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 4 generous tablespoons mincemeat
- Icing sugar to dust
Equipment
- 20cm spring form cake tin
Mrs Hanrahan’s Sauce
Serves 6-8
- 85g butter
- 175g soft, dark-brown sugar
- 1 small egg
- 50ml medium sherry
- 50ml port
- 450ml cream
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/ 350'F/ Gas mark 4. Make sure the base of the spring form tin is upside down so that when the cake is cooked, you can slide it off the base using a palette knife, and that the 'lip’ of the tin base isn’t in the way.
- Rub the base and sides of the tin with a little butter - I use a bit of butter wrapper for this.
- Next, make the crumble topping. Put the flour and the castor sugar into a bowl. Rub in the diced butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the flaked almonds. Keep aside.
- Now make the cake. Cream the butter until soft in a bowl. Add the brown sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one, add the vanilla extract and stir in the sifted flour and the baking powder, and then the milk.
- Spoon the mixture into the tin, levelling off the top. Spread the mincemeat over the cake mixture. Sprinkle the crumble over the mincemeat. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the centre feels set in the centre. It should look golden on top.
- Allow the cake to sit in the tin for ten minutes then slide a small sharp knife around the sides of the cake to free it from the tin.
- Remove the sides of the tin and slide it off the base (if you wish) and transfer the cake to a plate.
- Once the cake is just cool, dredge it with icing sugar. Serve with softly whipped cream and Mrs Hanrahan’s sauce.
Mrs Hanrahan's Sauce
- Melt the butter, stir in the sugar and allow to cool slightly. Whisk the egg and add to the
- butter and sugar with the sherry and port. Refrigerate.
- When needed, whip the cream softly and add it to the sauce.
Tip: This sauce is also very good with mince pies and Christmas pudding
