Post by Trevor on Dec 20, 2011 12:30:14 GMT
Posted by Sue on 20/12/2011, 8:25:04,
6oz/175g soft marg or butter
6oz/175g caster sugar
8oz/225g glutafin fibre mix (I use Juvela)
1 5ml teaspoons ground mixed spice
4 medium eggs
3 x 15ml tbsp brandy
grated zest of 2 limes
Fruit mixture:
8oz/225g mixed dried fruit
8oz/225g 'no need to soak' dried pineapple and/or dried peach
4oz/110g glace cherries, halved
4ozs/110g glace chopped ginger
Method:
Line the base and sides of an 8" deep round cake tin (I use a square one) with double layer of greaseproof or parchment. Whisk together the marg, sugar fibre mix, spice and eggs for 2 minutes until combined. Stir in the fruit and brandy and beat until evenly mixed. Pour into tin and bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours at 150 C/ 130 C Fan/ Gas mark 2. Cool in the tin.
Add marzipan and icing as normal or decorate with fruit and nuts and glaze with a jam and brandy mixture.
Can be made up to 6 weeks before if desired although I have only ever made it up to 2 weeks before. You can vary the proportions of fruit and the varieties - I don't like mixed fruit so I just use raisins and add diced pineapple and papaya, cranberries, sour cherries rather than glace and I personally don't use ginger. This year I found in my local Morrisons a colourful pack of Fruit Mix which has green raisins, flame raisins, Orange River raisins and cranberries. I think I have put in about 4 ozs extra of fruit altogether so it should be nice and fruity. Have also found a Tesco ready to eat Tropical Fruit Medley with large chunks of fruit which I chopped up - pineapple, papaya, cantaloupe melon and mango.
Basically, you can add anything you wish in the fruit line - I haven't been able to buy dried peaches for a couple of years now - even Holland & Barrett didn't have any.
The recipe says it works best with the fibre mix as it helps to stop the fruit from sinking, but you could possibly try it with white flour.