Light fruit cake

Babiche Martens

Ingredients

50 g	Dates, soft and dried
50 g	Dried apricots, soft (Main)
75 g	Dried figs, soft
50 g	Dried cranberries, soft
50 g	Sultanas
50 g	Sultanas
3 Tbsp	Brandy
200 g	Butter
200 g	Caster sugar
75 g	Ground almonds
90 g	Plain flour
4	Large eggs, (beaten)
1	Orange, (grated zest and juice)
1	Icing sugar, (for decoration)

Directions

1. Line the base of a 23cm cake tin with baking parchment. Set the oven at 180C.
2. Whizz the apricots, dates, figs, cranberries and sultanas in a food processor briefly, so that they are all roughly the size of candied peel.
3. Tip into a stainless steel or glass bowl, pour over the brandy and set aside for an hour for the brandy to flavour the fruit.
4. Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat till fluffy and white, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Mix the almonds and flour together.
5. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add a third of the almonds and flour, turn the mixer off, add another third and beat slowly and briefly, then add the final third, again mixing briefly. Mixing too fast will make the cake heavy.
6. Slowly beat in the dried fruit, the orange zest and juice, again taking great care not to over-mix.
7. Transfer the mixture to the lined cake tin, gently smoothing the top and bake for 45 minutes. Leave the cake to cool in the tin, running a palate knife around the edge to loosen it as it cools.
8. Wrap the cake in foil and store overnight - this will improve the flavour and texture. Dust with icing sugar before serving.