2 bags of smartprice Asda mixed fruit (500g)
50g cherries chopped (quite chunky)
A good slosh of spirit (I use either brandy or sloe gin)
225g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
225g of dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon of black treacle
225g butter
zest and juice of an orange and a lemon
The day before baking you need to soak the fruit. Put the bags of fruit along with the spices, black treacle, spirit, juice and zest of the orange and lemon into a large bowl and cover.
Soak overnight and in the morning the fruit will be moist and plump and will have soaked up the liquid.
Cream the butter and sugar together until really light and fluffy. (I do this in the food processor)
Add the eggs a tiny bit at a time whilst still beating. Try not to let it curdle but if it does don't worry about it. It tends to be a lighter cake if you can avoid the curdling.
Add all the fruit to the mixture and stir.
Add the sifted flour to the mixture and stir.
Put into a prepared baking tin, I use an 8 inch round tin, double lined with baking paper and a double topping of baking paper. Some people say to wrap the whole tin in brown paper as well but I don't do that.
Place in an oven temperature of 130 C (conventional) for fan ovens you may need to turn it down a tad.
The time is hard to give because it varies so much according to your oven but I wouldn't look at it until at least 2 hours are up and it will probably need another hour or so to completely be cooked. The top will be firm to the touch and when a skewer is inserted through the middle of the cake it will come out clean.
When cool wrap in foil. Leave the baking paper attached to the cake. Feed now and again by poking holes into the top of the cake with a cocktail stick and pouring a capful of spirit into the cake.
