How To Make Fruit Cake

Step 1: You will need:

Step 2: Soak the fruit

Soak 800g mixed dried fruit, 100g chopped mixed peel and 150g glace cherries in 250ml orange liqueur overnight.

Step 3: Preheat oven

The next day, heat your oven to 150C/300F/Gas2. Grease a 20cm/8inch round or an 18cm/7inch square cake tin and line the bottom and sides with baking parchment.

Step 4: Flour mixture

Sieve 225g plain flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon into a bowl.

Step 5: Butter mixture

Cream 200g butter and 200g dark brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and then mix in 2 tablespoons of black treacle, 1 tablespoon marmalade and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence until light and fluffy.

Step 6: Add eggs

Beat 4 eggs, and fold them a little at a time into the mixture adding a tablespoon of the flour mixture with the last of the eggs.

Step 7: Add flour mixture

Fold in the remaining flour mixture until well mixed. Then mix in the soaked fruit mixture with 100g chopped almonds.

Step 8: Bake

Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and make a slight hollow in the centre. Bake in the oven for 3 hours and then test with a skewer. If it's not ready bake for up to another hour testing every 20 minutes until the skewer comes out clean.

Step 9: Cool

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Turn out on to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Step 10: Soak

Once cool, make a few holes in the cake with a skewer and pour over 3-4 tbsp of Orange Liqueur. Let it soak into the cake. Store the cake wrapped in foil and in an airtight tin or plastic container, holes side up.

Step 11: Store

For a rich and moist cake, spoon over a few tablespoons of brandy, Orange Liqueur, or for an alcohol free version use cold tea, every week until you are ready to ice and decorate your cake