Cakes Recipes - Light Jeweled Fruit Cake

Ingredients

• 115g currants

• 115g sultanas

• 225g mixed glace cherries, quartered

• 50g mixed peel, finely chopped

• 30ml rum, brandy or sherry

• 225g butter

• 225 caster sugar

• finely grated rind of 1 orange

• grated rind of 1 lemon 4 eggs

• 50g chopped almonds

• 50g ground almonds

• 225g plain flour

• To decorate

• 50g whole blanched almonds (optional)

• 15ml apricot jam

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Method:

1. A day in advance, soak the currants, sultanas, glace cherries and mixed peel in the rum, brandy or sherry, cover and leave to soak overnight.

2. Grease and line a 20cm/8in round cake tin or an 18cm/7in square cake tin with a double thickness of greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 160'C/Gas 3. Beat the butter, sugar and orange and lemon rinds together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the chopped almonds, ground almonds, soaked fruits (with the liquid) and the flour. Spoon into the cake tin and level the top. Bake for 30 minutes

3. Arrange the almonds, if using, on top of the cake (do not press them into the cake or they will sink during cooking). Return the cake to the oven and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or until the centre is firm to the touch. Let the cake cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then turn it out in its paper on to a wire rack. When cold, wrap foil over the paper and store in a cool place. To finish, warm, then sieve the jam and use to glaze the cake.