Fruit cake (7 inch square)

I’ve been asked by my friend Debbie in work to make a three-tiered wedding cake for her friend Lorna’s wedding in October.  We’re about to go on holiday for a fortnight, so I decided to get a head start and make the fruit cake for the top tier before we leave.  I’m then going to give it to Debbie to cake sit for me, and feed it brandy every few days while we’re away!

Ingredients

200g sultanas

150g currants

150g raisins

100g dried apricots, chopped

100g dried cranberries

100g dried blueberries

100g dried apple, chopped

50g glacé cherries, chopped

50g mixed candied peel

4 tbsp brandy (plus extra for 'feeding' the cake)

225g plain flour

Pinch of salt

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground mixed spice

225g soft brown sugar

225g butter, softened

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp black treacle

1 lemon, grated zest only

1 orange, grated zest only

50g whole almonds, chopped

Method

1. Place all the dried fruit in a large bowl, stir in the brandy, cover the bowl and leave in a cool place overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 140°C and grease and double line a 7 inch square cake tin. Then line the outside of the tin with newspaper – at least 5 pages folded to about the height of the tin and secured with string or masking tape. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour, salt, nutmeg, mixed spice and sugar.
4. Add the butter, eggs, black treacle and the citrus zest and beat well to mix thoroughly.
5. Fold in the chopped almonds and soaked fruits.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and spread out evenly with the back of a spoon.
7. Cover the top of the cake loosely with a double layer of greaseproof paper.
8. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 4 hours, or until the cake feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
9. Allow the cake to cool in the tin.
10. When cool, pierce the cake at intervals with a fine skewer and 'feed' with a little splash of brandy. Once the cake is completely cold, leave the lining paper on the cake, wrap in a double layer of greaseproof paper and again in foil. Store in a cool, dry place, feeding at intervals with more brandy.

Adapted from Mary Berry’s classic fruit cake recipe.