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To Make the Cake
To bake this cake, you will need a 7" (18cm) square or 8" (20cm) round cake tin (the type with the push out bottom is easiest to use).
Ingredients
* 120g/4oz Butter or Margarine
* 170g/6oz Sugar
* 340g/14oz Dried fruit - a mixture of raisins, sultanas, figs, dates, cherries, peel... whatever you fancy!
* 225ml/8floz Water (Maybe replace some water with stout and/or cognac or oj)
* 1tsp Bicarbonate of soda
* 1/2 tsp Mixed spice
* 2 Beaten Eggs
* 120g/4oz Plain flour
* 120g/4oz Self-raising Flour
* Pinch of Salt
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4 (the middle bottom right hand oven of a 4-door Aga, if you're that lucky).
2. Prepare the tin by applying a thin layer of margarine and lining with a layer of greaseproof paper.
3. Put the butter, sugar, fruit, water, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Bring to boil and simmer for 1 minute.
4. Pour into a mixing bowl and allow to cool.
5. Add eggs, flour and salt to the cooled mixture. Mix well and pour into prepared tin.
6. Bake for about one and a quarter hours. You may need to put brown paper over the top if cake starts to singe before it is cooked throughout.
7. Cake is ready when an inserted skewer comes out clean - leave to cool on a wire rack.
8. Eat!
This is a very forgiving recipe; you don't even have to be very precise with the measuring out.
The cake should keep for a couple of months wrapped in tin foil in a tin, and can be 'spiked' with brandy or whatever you fancy. Unlike more traditional fruit cake recipes, you can eat it straight away if you want to, without even waiting for it to cool completely.
To Spike a Cake
Take a skewer and insert it into the cake about a dozen times in an evenly spaced pattern. Then pour a tablespoon or two of brandy over the surface of the cake. Wrap it up in tin foil and leave for a few days, then pour more alcohol over it, and wrap it up and put it away again.
It can be given several doses, depending on preference, and on whether you have any brandy left.
We replace some of the water with cognac/stout for a bit more flavour, and don't spike it. But that's cos we want to eat it straight away. Its very good!
To bake this cake, you will need a 7" (18cm) square or 8" (20cm) round cake tin (the type with the push out bottom is easiest to use).
Ingredients
* 120g/4oz Butter or Margarine
* 170g/6oz Sugar
* 340g/14oz Dried fruit - a mixture of raisins, sultanas, figs, dates, cherries, peel... whatever you fancy!
* 225ml/8floz Water (Maybe replace some water with stout and/or cognac or oj)
* 1tsp Bicarbonate of soda
* 1/2 tsp Mixed spice
* 2 Beaten Eggs
* 120g/4oz Plain flour
* 120g/4oz Self-raising Flour
* Pinch of Salt
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4 (the middle bottom right hand oven of a 4-door Aga, if you're that lucky).
2. Prepare the tin by applying a thin layer of margarine and lining with a layer of greaseproof paper.
3. Put the butter, sugar, fruit, water, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Bring to boil and simmer for 1 minute.
4. Pour into a mixing bowl and allow to cool.
5. Add eggs, flour and salt to the cooled mixture. Mix well and pour into prepared tin.
6. Bake for about one and a quarter hours. You may need to put brown paper over the top if cake starts to singe before it is cooked throughout.
7. Cake is ready when an inserted skewer comes out clean - leave to cool on a wire rack.
8. Eat!
This is a very forgiving recipe; you don't even have to be very precise with the measuring out.
The cake should keep for a couple of months wrapped in tin foil in a tin, and can be 'spiked' with brandy or whatever you fancy. Unlike more traditional fruit cake recipes, you can eat it straight away if you want to, without even waiting for it to cool completely.
To Spike a Cake
Take a skewer and insert it into the cake about a dozen times in an evenly spaced pattern. Then pour a tablespoon or two of brandy over the surface of the cake. Wrap it up in tin foil and leave for a few days, then pour more alcohol over it, and wrap it up and put it away again.
It can be given several doses, depending on preference, and on whether you have any brandy left.
We replace some of the water with cognac/stout for a bit more flavour, and don't spike it. But that's cos we want to eat it straight away. Its very good!
Nah not really, half of it is in the freezer. 
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