A moist fruit cake.
Ingredients
- 700 g mixed dried fruits
- 350 ml dark rum
- 5 tblsp cherry brandy
- 225 g dried pineapple pieces
- 125 g dried cranberries
- 200 g glace cherries
- 75 g blanched almonds (chopped)
- 1 tblsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- finely grated rind of 1 orange
- 350 g softened butter
- 350 g soft, light brown sugar
- 6 medium eggs
- 350 g self raising flour
Method
- Firstly, put the mixed dried fruit, rum and brandy in a pan and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cool, and leave it to soak for one to four days, depending on how much of a hurry is on you.
- The longer you're able to leave it, the more moist the end product will be.
- Grease a 23cm/9inch round cake tin and line the base and sides with double thickness baking parchment so that it comes three quarters of an inch above the rim.
- Place one third of the soaked dried fruit in a food processor and give it a whizz until it's finely minced.
- Set aside, and add the dried pineapple pieces, cherries, cranberries, almonds and ground spices to the remaining soaked dried fruit.
- Stir this well to mix it up, add the grated orange rind and stir again.
- In a separate bowl beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one by one, adding 2 tablespoons flour with each.
- Sift over the remaining flour and beat thoroughly until the mixture is pale and soft.
- Heat the oven to 170°C (340°F/Gas 4).
- Fold in the mixed fruit.
- Gently, stir in the remaining fruit.
- Spoon into the tin and spread level, making a well in the centre.
- Reduce the temperature of the oven to 150°C (300°F/Gas 2), cover the cake loosely with foil and bake for two and a half hours.
- Because oven temperatures tend to vary, check the cake after two and a quarter hours, by sticking a skewer into the middle.
- If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
