Cider Cake
A big fruit cake: the dried fruit soaks overnight in a can of cider, then a long slow bake. Best left a couple of days before eating.
- Kit9 inch round deep cake tin, greaseproof paper
One of my cider recipes – see Maggots? Or Apples! for why.
What you need
- 1.5 lbs mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, sultanas)
- 1 x 500 ml can cider
- 1 lb of flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 8 oz butter
- 8 oz soft dark brown sugar
- 4 oz mixed peel
- Finely grated rind of one orange
- 4 eggs
- A little granulated sugar for topping
Method
The night before cooking put the dried fruit (cleaned of stones etc) into a bowl with the cider and allow to soak overnight.
Grease and base line a 9 inch round deep cake tin.
Sieve the flour, baking powder, pinch of salt and mixed spice into a bowl. Blend the butter into the bowl and mix the flour etc. into a crumb-like texture.
Stir in the sugar, mixed peel, and grated orange rind.
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
In the centre of this cake mix make a hollow and add in beaten eggs, and your fruit (minus surplus cider!)
Mix all this up until it reaches a soft dropping consistency.
Pour the cake mix into the cake tin, levelling off the top. Sprinkle on top the granulated sugar.
Pre-heat an oven to 160°C / 325°F / gas mark 3.
Place the cake tin into the preheated oven for an hour. Then reduce the oven temp. to 150°C / 300°F / gas mark 2, and cook for a further 1.5 hours or until the top of the cake is springy to touch and the cake is shrinking slightly.
If you're unsure pierce with a skewer; if it comes out clean it's ready (or overdone!)
Turn the cake out onto greaseproof paper and place in a cake tin.
Best left for a couple of days before eating.
