Cakes Recipes - Light Fruit Cake

Ingredients

• 225g prunes

• 225g dates

• 225g currants

• 225g sultanas

• 250ml dry white wine

• 250ml rum

• 350 plain flour

• 10ml baking powder

• 5ml ground cinnamon

• 2.5ml grated nutmeg

• 225g butter, at room temperature

• 225g caster sugar

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

• 5ml vanilla essence

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Method:

1. Stone the prunes and dates and chop finely. Place in a bowl with the currants and sultanas. Stir in the wine and rum and leave, covered, for 2 days. Stir occasionally.

2. Preheat the oven to 150'C/300"F/Gas 2 with a tray of hot water in the bottom. Line two 23 x 13cm/9 x 5in loaf tins with greaseproof paper and grease the paper.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and grated nutmeg.

4. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture in three batches. Fold in the dried fruit mixture and its liquid.

5. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 1'h hours. Stand for 20 minutes, then unmould on to a wire rack.