Fruit cake

A fruit cake is something easy to whip up considering the basic ingredients found in anyone's pantry. This recipe uses dry fruits like apricots, prunes and almonds. You can replace them with you choice of nuts and dry fruits to suit your palate. Try making a chocolate version by replacing 10% of the flour with cocoa powder and throw in some chocolate to make it more exciting.

Makes one 8" cake

Ingredients

Butter unsalted 200gm

Caster sugar 200gm

Whole eggs 4

Vanilla extract 5gm

Plain flour 200gm

Baking powder 4gm

Salt 2gm

Valencia orange 1

Almonds (halved) 70gm

Dates/Prunes (diced) 40gm

Apricots (diced) 30gm

Full fat milk 40ml

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade, line a cake tin with grease proof paper.

2. In a mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar, using an electric beater start creaming this mixture until it is light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl at regular intervals.

3. Combine the eggs, vanilla in a small mixing bowl, gradually add the eggs one at a time and continue creaming. Once the eggs have been incorporated scrape the sides of the bowl and continue mixing till it is light and fluffy. If the cake mix tends to curdle, do not mix further. Move to the next step of mixing the dry ingredients.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, chopped nuts, orange zest and diced dry fruits.

5. Add the dry ingredients by folding it into the egg mixture with the help of a spatula.

6. Once incorporated, add in the milk and mix gently.

7. Pour the batter into the lined cake tin and bake it at 170 degrees centigrade for about 45 minutes.

8.Check the cake with the help of a small knife in the center to ensure it has been cooked evenly. Place the cake on a cooling rack, de-mould when cool.

Enjoy 😋