Maple Lava Fruitcake

Maple Lava Filling

• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (preferably very dark syrup for its strong flavour)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Coureur des Bois maple cream (or maple syrup)
• 2 cups milk, hot
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cake

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup maple sugar
• 1 cup chilled butter, cubed
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup dried currants
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, cut into quarters

Maple Lava Filling

1. Add egg yolks, maple syrup, flour and Coureur des Bois maple cream to a saucepan off the heat.
2. Whisk until texture becomes smooth and uniform.
3. Add hot milk gradually, whisking constantly. Over medium heat, bring to a boil while whisking constantly and scraping bottom and sides of saucepan.
4. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and add vanilla. To prevent skin from forming on surface, place plastic wrap directly on top of hot cream and let cool. Refrigerate until completely cool, about 3 hours.

Cake

1. Add all ingredients except fruit in the bowl of a food processor.
2. Pulse while adding a little water as needed until a ball begins to form. Add fruit and pulse gently. Remove dough from processor and form a ball with your hands.
3. Flour ball, then wrap it in plastic wrap. Leave for 1 hour in refrigerator.
4. Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 190 °C (375 °F). Butter and flour a Bundt cake pan. Set aside one-quarter of the dough.
5. On a floured work surface, roll out remaining dough into a large circle. Using a 2.5-cm (1-in) cookie cutter, make hole in centre. Line bottom and sides of pan with dough. As dough is fragile, repair holes in dough with fingers.
6. Roll out reserved dough and make same hole with a cookie cutter. Pour maple cream into pan and cover with second layer. Seal by pinching rim with fingers.
7. Bake in oven for 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven and let stand on wire rack for 20 minutes before removing from cake pan.