It’s September so time to start thinking about the end of year and all those festivities and foods that make the Holidays so special.

In my case there just has to be a cake. In point of fact there are usually at least two cakes! The first is filled with good intentions and the mind weakens with the sight and smell of the cake, It will be sampled! Frequently! Until it is no more than a pile of crumbs, and pretty soon even those will have disappeared before long.

The second one stands a chance of actually being there, in whole or part, on the day itself. Don’t even ask about the mysteriously disappearing Easter eggs that will need to be replaced, possibly several times, before the day itself.

So the recipe for today is for a rich, moist and delicious Fruit Cake.

Ingredients

250g Self Raising Flour

150g Brown Sugar

175g Butter

500g Dried Mixed Fruit

150g Stewed Apple (Pie filling)

200g Assorted Nuts (Almonds/Walnuts)

150g Glacé Cherries

2 tsp (10ml) Mixed Spice/ Cinnamon

4 Eggs

Spirits to soak dried fruit

Method

Soak the dried fruit in the spirit of choice overnight. In the morning drain but do not dry the fruit. Dispose of the spirit in the traditional manner!

Grease  a nine inch spring-form cake tin and line with parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 160 C / 325 F / Gas 3.

In a large bowl:

Cream the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time so they mix well. Use a whisk to ensure a smooth mixture.

Add the flour a bit at a time and stir until you have a creamy paste.

Add all the other ingredients in any order. Stir well with a wooden spoon to distribute everything evenly throughout the mix.

Spoon the mix into the prepared cake tin and place in the oven for two hours.

Check the cake after one and a half hours with a wooden skewer/cocktail stick.

If it emerges clean the cake is ready for the rack. If it has sticky bits give the cake another half hour and repeat the process.

When cool eat!