It’s that time of year again and we are all running around trying to get to grips with Christmas. Those of the more organised among you will already have your Christmas Pudding and Cake stored in a cool dry place. For those of us mere mortals, there is always a shop-bought cake but we’ve perfected the ‘last minute technique’ which also works all year round for a great ‘anytime’ fruit cake.

Ingredients:

• 1lb of whatever mix of dried fruit you like. We use currants, sultanas, perhaps some chopped apricots, and raisins. For Christmas add a few roughly skinned and chopped almonds.
• 4oz of unsalted butter
• 8oz caster sugar (for Christmas use dark soft brown sugar)
• Quarter pint of water
• 2 Large eggs
• 8oz self-raising flour
• Brandy for feeding (Christmas only…well, maybe not!)

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees C
2. Grease and line a deep round 9-inch cake tin
3. Then put the first 4 ingredients into a roomy saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for 15 mins. Leave to cool completely.
4. Once this is cool, beat the eggs and add a little at a time to your fruit mixture.
5. Sieve the flour into your fruit mixture and fold it in.
6. Pour into your prepared tin and back form 1 hour 30 mins. Test to see if your cake is ready by inserting a skewer into the center, if it comes out clean it’s done.
7. Cool for 10 mins in the tin then turn on to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. If it’s for Christmas, make a few holes in the top with a darning needle and pour over 2 tablespoons of brandy. Repeat weekly or until you run out of time.
9. Decorate as you have time.

We also make mini versions of this using a medium-sized ramekin.