Light tropical fruit & nut cake

This light and colourful cake can be cut within a few days. Because it is not rich it has a shorter shelf life.

Ingredients

½ cup	Dried mangos, slices
½ cup	Pineapples, dried pieces
½ cup	Strawberries, crystallised
½ cup	Dried pawpaw
1 cup	Glace cherries, half cup each of red & green
½ cup	Limoncello
200 g	Butter, softened
¾ cup	Caster sugar
1 tsp	Vanilla essence/extract
2	Large eggs, well beaten
1 ½ cups	Plain flour
½ tsp	Baking powder

Topping

¼ cup	Blanched almonds
½ cup	Pistachio nuts, skins removed (Main)
1 cup	Hazelnut, skins removed
1 Tbsp	Gelatine, powdered
1 Tbsp	Sugar
2 Tbsp	Water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160C.
2. Lightly grease and line a 20cm round cake pan with baking paper.
3. Slice mango into strips and combine with the other fruit and limoncello in a bowl.
4. Beat the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl with an electric beater, until smooth and light.
5. Slowly beat in eggs and vanilla until well mixed. Add fruit mix, sifted flour and baking powder. Mix until combined.
6. Spoon into the pan. Top with the nuts, pressing in lightly.
7. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until a skewer inserted to the centre comes out clean. If necessary, put foil over the top to prevent burning. Turn the cooked cake upside down on to a board and leave to cool.
8. To glaze, Turn the cake nut-side up. Combine gelatine, sugar and water and microwave a few seconds until dissolved.
9. Brush over the nuts. Leave to set. Wrap loosely in foil and store in an airtight container in a cool place.

Tips: Nuts give texture to cakes and also make excellent toppings in place of sweet icing. Almonds and hazelnuts are best with the skins removed.

To blanch almonds and remove the skins, place the nuts in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Stand for two to three minutes, until the skins wrinkle. Drain and cover with cold water. The skins will slip off easily. Dry before using.