Stollen Cake

recipe

Stollen Cake

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Stollen is a yeasted cake from Austria that's fast becoming a popular alternative to Christmas cake here. The rich fruited dough is wrapped around a nutty almond paste.

Ingredients

100ml milk
11/2 tsp dried yeast
50g caster sugar
300g strong plain flour
pinch of salt
125g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for brushing
1 large egg, beaten
150g luxury mixed fruit
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp dark or white rum, brandy or whisky
50g whole blanched almonds, toasted
icing sugar and extra plain flour, to dust
For the marzipan:
100g ground almonds
75g caster sugar
1 large egg yolk

Serves: 4 Preparation: 240 Cook Time: 40 Total Time: 280min

Directions

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Warm the milk to blood temperature - you should be able to put your little finger into the milk for about 10 seconds without it feeling too hot.
Stir in the yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar. Leave in a warm place for approximately 10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and stir in the remaining sugar. Pour in the yeast mixture, the butter and the egg.
Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture resembles a soft dough.
Turn the dough on to a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes. If you have a mixer with a dough hook attachment, work the dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and cover with greased polythene. Leave in a warm place until it doubles in size and springs back when pressed (1-2 hours). Combine the dried fruit with the lemon zest and juice and alcohol of your choice and leave to soak.
To make the marzipan, place the ground almonds and sugar in a bowl and beat in the egg yolk and lemon juice with a spoon to make a smooth paste. Wrap in greaseproof paper until needed.
Drain the fruit mixture well and stir in the almonds. Turn the dough on to a floured surface and knead lightly, adding the fruit and nuts into the dough until everything is evenly distributed.
Roll the dough out to a 20x25cm/8x10in oblong. Make a dip lengthways along the centre. Shape the marzipan into a log 20cm/8in long and place in the dip on the dough.
Fold one side over the marzipan into the middle and then fold the other end over into the middle. Roll the dough over and seal the ends together.
. Place the dough on a greased baking sheet and cover with oiled polythene. Leave in a warm place until it has doubled in size.
. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Cook for 30 minutes or until well risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack. Brush with melted butter and dust with icing sugar. Cool and wrap in greaseproof paper and foil and store in an airtight container.