Basic Desserts Recipes - Light Fruit Cake

Ingredients

• 225g soft margarine or butter

• 225g caster sugar

• grated rind of 1 orange

• 5 eggs, beaten

• 300g plain flour

• 2.5ml baking powder

• 10ml mixed spice

• 175g currants

• 175g raisins

• 175g sultanas

• 50g dried, ready to eat apricots

• 115g mixed peel

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 150"C/300"F/Gas 2. Grease a deep 20cm/8in round or 18cm/7in square cake tin, line the base and sides with a double thickness of greaseproof paper and grease the paper.

2. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, snipping in the apricots in strips, using kitchen scissors. Beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes, until thoroughly mixed.

3. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin. Make a slight depression in the centre. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2.5 - 3.5. hours. Test the cake after 2.5, hours. If it is ready it will feel firm and a skewer inserted in the centre will come out clean. Test at intervals if necessary. Cover the top loosely with foil if it starts to brown too quickly.

4. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin. Then turn out. The lining paper can be left on to help keep the cake moist.