Recipe Index

Serving count not stated for this recipe, so quantities are shown as written.

Ingredients

• 7 oz butter, softened
• 7 oz dark muscovado sugar
• 7 oz plain flour
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1¾ oz ground almonds
• 6½ Tbsp sherry, plus 2 tbsp extra for feeding
• 3 oz candied peel, chopped
• 3 oz glace cherries, halved
• 8¾ oz raisins
• 8¾ oz currants
• 3½ oz pecan nuts, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, zest grated
• 1 1/2 tbsp mixed spice
• 1 1/2 tbsp rose water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Put the raisins, currants, cherries and candied peel in a bowl, pour over the sherry, stir well, cover and leave to soak for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
2. Heat the oven to 300°F. Grease a deep 8 in round cake tin and line the base and sides with a double layer of baking parchment.
3. Beat the butter and muscovado sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs a little at a time, adding a spoonful of flour if the mixture starts to curdle.
4. Fold in the remaining flour, ground almonds, baking powder and mixed spice.
5. Stir in the soaked fruit with any liquid, the pecans, lemon zest, rose water and vanilla, until evenly distributed.
6. Spoon into the tin and level the top, making a slight dip in the centre. Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until dark golden, firm, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil after the first hour if it colours too quickly.
7. Leave to cool in the tin. While still warm, prick the top with a skewer and spoon over the extra sherry. Wrap in parchment and foil and store in an airtight container, feeding with a spoonful of sherry every week or two until decorated.

Nutrition not computed — no serving count in the source recipe (per-serving values cannot be derived without one).