Here's a lovely moist fruit cake recipe that you can ring the changes with. It will keep for up to three weeks in an airtight container, unless, like me, you have a hungry family who can't keep their hands off it.
Ingredients
- 3ozs (75g) soft butter or good margarine
- 2 1/2ozs (65g) soft brown sugar
- 2ozs (50g) self raising flour
- 1oz (25g) wholemeal flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 2 beaten eggs
- Juice of a small orange
- 1 tablespoon brandy
- 8ozs (225g) mixed dried fruit
- 1 tablespoon of marmalade/apricot jam
The idea now is to add the kind of extras that you like. My favorite version contains these:
- 1oz (25g) chopped walnuts
- 1oz (25g) glace cherries, halved
- 3 or 4 dates, chopped
- a small handful of sunflower seeds
You can use your imagination and substitute what you fancy. Be creative! Here are a few suggestions:
- Use prunes or figs instead of dates
- Add a chopped banana or some blueberries instead of cherries
- Use chopped or flaked almonds, or pecans instead of walnuts
- Vary the kind of seeds you use
- Try using a tablespoon of treacle instead of marmalade or jam
Method
- At least two hours before you intend to bake the cake, put all the fruit into a saucepan, pour over the brandy and orange juice and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for two minutes then turn off the heat. Leave the fruit to soak up the liquid until well cooled.
- Just before you start to mix the ingredients, add the nuts to the soaked fruit
- Now, prepare a 6 inch (15 cms) round cake tin, preferably one with a loose base. Line it with greaseproof paper. Set the oven to 140 degrees Centigrade (275 degrees Fahrenheit, Gas Mark 1).
- Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Make sure you do this well. You're aiming for a very smooth, creamy mixture with all the butter well blended in.
- Add the (sieved) flours, baking powder and mixed spice and mix well. The mixture will become dryer. Make sure you incorporate all the flour well.
- Gradually add the beaten eggs and blend this in well. Be careful not to add too much egg at first to avoid the mixture curdling.
- Stir in the marmalade/apricot jam. If you warm this a little first it will mix easily without annoying lumps.
- Now add the fruit and nuts, including any remaining liquid. Stir in well so the fruit is evenly distributed. The mixture will be quite runny at this stage.
- Pour the mixture into your cake tin and bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Ovens vary and if, like me, you have a fan assisted oven the cake will not take as long. Keep your eye on it and check its progress. It will have a pale appearance when done. If you insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and it comes out clean, it's done. If there's mixture sticking to it, it needs longer.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin. Once cool you can easily lift it out inside the greaseproof paper.
- Now, put the kettle on, make yourself a well earned cup of coffee and try a slice!
