By Emiko Davies

I recommend having all the ingredients ready before you add the syrup as once this gets added it can harden to a point where it becomes difficult to handle (especially if your kitchen is quite cold). If this happens, you simply need to warm the mixture gently and then it becomes easier to pat into the cake tin. If you can, use whole spices and grind them just before using in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder for maximum flavour. You may be timid about using pepper, but I can’t stress how important the flavour of the black pepper is in here, go for one whole teaspoon of it!

Serves 12

Ingredients

350 grams candied citron
50 grams candied orange peel
200 grams whole peeled almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts
4 teaspoons ground spices (coriander seeds, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper)
150 grams chestnut flour, sifted
300 grams white sugar
Icing sugar for dusting

Grease and line a 24-26 cm cake tin with baking paper and heat the oven to 160C (320F)

Chop the candied fruit into very small diced pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the nuts, the spices and the sifted chestnut flour (it tends to be lumpy, don’t skip the sifting) and set aside.

Place the sugar in 100 ml of water in a saucepan over low heat. Let it dissolve and thicken very slightly into a syrup, about 5 minutes of simmering should do it, do not let it colour into a caramel (it should reach 120C, if you have a sugar thermometer).

Pour the syrup off the heat and mix with the candied fruit mixture until just combined. Tip the mixture immediately into the cake tin and flatten/smooth out with a nonstick spatula (or dust the top with some extra cinnamon and then use your hands to pat it out). Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and the top is firm to the touch. Allow to cool completely in the tin. Before serving, cover generously with icing sugar.

It keeps very well stored in a cool, dark place.