Any-occasion cake recipe | Good Food

Any-occasion cake

450g dried mixed fruit
100g raisin
100g glacé cherries
grated zest 1 lemon
grated zest 1 orange
150ml medium sherry
175g soft brown sugar
100g plain flour
50g self-raising flour
50g ground almonds
1 tsp mixed spice
175g butter
softened
3 eggs

Method

step 1
Tip the fruits and zests into a bowl, pour over the sherry and leave to marinate overnight. Grease and line the bottom and sides of a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment. Heat oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1.
step 2
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl, together with the butter and eggs. If the mixture starts to curdle you can add a little more plain flour. Stir in the fruit, discarding any sherry that has not been absorbed, then spoon the mixture into the tin. Smooth the surface and make a small dent in the middle.
step 3
Bake in the centre of the oven for 2½ hrs until the cake is dark golden brown in colour; an inserted skewer should come out clean. If the top of the cake browns too quickly, cover it with a layer of baking parchment. Leave it in the tin for about 10 mins before turning it out onto a wire rack, then leave it to cool. Serve plain or with the icing or decoration of your choice.