Rich Fruit Cake

                     Every year my mother used to bake this cake a month ahead of Christmas. After the cake is baked she will wrap it in aluminium foil and every once in  5 days she will drizzle the cake with brandy, wrap it back with the foil and keep it in the cabinet till Christmas. Well every year I too will bake my Christmas fruit cake but I will make it just a day or two before Christmas (saving on the brandy.....).  I don't like to use the mixed fruits sold  in the shops selling bakery supplies. I usually use the Nona Fruits Mix sold in boxes (325 grams) in the supermarkets because the fruits are quite dry and not sweet. I omitted the black treacle as I don't like the cake to be too dark in colour and the sugar I reduced from 225 gms to 100 gms as the mixed fruits are sweet. This recipe is taken from the back cover of the Nona Fruits Mix with slight alterations.

Ingredients:

• Fruits Mix              -   500 gm
• Superfine flour        -   250 gm
• Baking powder       -    20 gm
• All spice powder     -     3 gm
• Butter                     -  225 gm
• Brown sugar           -  100 gm
• Eggs                       -     4
• Chopped almonds  -   100 gm
• Chopped walnuts   -   100 gm
• Vanilla essence       -       5 ml
• Jam                        -     30 gm
• Brandy                   -     30 gm
• Treacle                  -     10 ml (I omitted this)
• Grated rind of 1 orange
• Juice of 1 orange  

Method: 

1. Sprinkle fruits Mix and nuts with brandy and orange juice in a bowl, cover it and keep it overnight.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time thoroughly mixing before adding in another egg, then add in the vanilla essence and all spice powder.
4.  Fold in (do not beat with the electric mixer as the fruits and nuts will sink) the flour (which has been sieved together with the baking powder) and fruits mixture alternatively and mix thoroughly.
5. Pour this cake mixture into a 20 cm baking pan lined with grease proof paper on all sides and bake at 150°C  for about 1 1/4 hrs.