Any-occasion cake

Here’s a cake for any social occasion that everyone will love

  • Prep:25 mins
    Cook:3 hrs
    Plus overnight soaking
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 414
  • fat 16g
  • saturates 8g
  • carbs 63g
  • sugars 53g
  • fibre 2g
  • protein 5g
  • salt 0.41g

Ingredients

  • 450g dried mixed fruit
  • 100g raisins
  • 100g glacé cherries
  • grated zest 1 lemon
  • grated zest 1 orange
  • 150ml medium sherry
  • 175g soft brown sugar
  • 100g plain flour
  • 50g self-raising flour
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • 175g butter, softened
  • 3 eggs

Method

  1. Tip the fruits and zests into a bowl, pour over the sherry and leave to marinate overnight. Grease and line the bottom and sides of a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment. Heat oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1.

  2. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl, together with the butter and eggs. If the mixture starts to curdle you can add a little more plain flour. Stir in the fruit, discarding any sherry that has not been absorbed, then spoon the mixture into the tin. Smooth the surface and make a small dent in the middle.

  3. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2½ hrs until the cake is dark golden brown in colour; an inserted skewer should come out clean. If the top of the cake browns too quickly, cover it with a layer of baking parchment. Leave it in the tin for about 10 mins before turning it out onto a wire rack, then leave it to cool. Serve plain or with the icing or decoration of your choice.

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