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225 g/8 oz butter or margarine
200g/7 oz caster (superfine) sugar
175 g/6 oz currants
175 g/6 oz sultanas (golden raisins)
50 g/2 oz chopped mixed (candied) peel
75 g/3 oz stoned (pitted) dates, chopped
5 ml/1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
200 ml/7 fl oz/scant 1 cup water
75 g/2 oz glace (candied) cherries,
chopped
100 g/4 oz/1 cup chopped mixed nuts
60 ml/4 tbsp brandy or sherry
300g/11 oz plain (all-purpose) flour
5 ml/1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten |
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Method:
Melt the butter or margarine, then stir
in the sugar, currants, sultanas, mixed peel and dates. Mix the
bicarbonate of soda with a little of the water and stir into the fruit
mixture with the remaining water. Bring to the boil, then simmer
gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and leave to stand
overnight.
Grease and line a 23 cm/9 in cake tin (pan) and tie a double layer of
greaseproof (waxed) or brown paper to stand above the top of the tin.
Stir the glace cherries, nuts and brandy or sherry into the mixture,
then stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the eggs.
Spoon into the prepared cake tin and bake in a preheated oven at
160°C/ 325°F/gas mark 3 for 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to
140°C/275°F/gas mark 1 and bake for a further 1 hour. Reduce the oven
temperature again to 120°C/250°F/gas mark 1/2 and bake for a further 1
hour until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cover the
top of the cake with a circle of greaseproof or brown paper towards
the end of the cooking time if it is over-browning. Allow to cool in
the tin for 30 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to finish
cooling.
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