INGREDIENTS

750g mixed dried fruit
100g blanched whole almond, chopped
100g chopped peel
200g dried fig, roughly chopped
100g glacé cherry, rinsed and quartered
300g plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
zest 1 lemon
250g lightly salted butter
250g light muscovado sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp Fewster’s Farm Honey
1 tbsp black treacle
4 large eggs
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp milk
3 tbsp brandy, plus extra to feed

METHOD

STEP 1
Heat oven to 140C/120C fan. Line the base and sides of a 20cm cake tin first with a double layer of brown paper, then with a double layer of baking parchment. In a large bowl, mix the fruit, almonds, peel, figs and cherries. Turn well and add the flour, spices and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar thoroughly, then add the vanilla extract, honey and treacle. Still beating, incorporate the eggs, then stir in the fruit and flour mixture. Dissolve the
bicarbonate of soda in the milk and stir in thoroughly. Add the brandy by the spoonful, until you have a soft dropping consistency.

STEP 2
Turn the batter into the cake tin and make a dip in the middle using the back of a spoon. Bake for 3½ hrs, then insert a skewer – if it comes out clean, it’s ready. If there is any cake mix on the skewer, give it 10 mins more and test again. When it’s done, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in its tin. The next day, remove from the tin, wrap in fresh greaseproof paper, then put it into an airtight
tin or wrap tightly in foil. The usual thing is to keep the cake for at least a month before icing it, and to unwrap and sprinkle it occasionally with more brandy.

Enjoy!