[Aliantha]

This my mum's old recipe which used to be her mother's. Back in those days everything was still in the old measurements, so I'm going to just give you the recipe as it's written. I'm going to add a bit more liquid to the recipe this year though so it's just a little bit more moist.

Ingredients

2 - 3 lb Mixed fruit (I get all sorts of exotic dried fruit including crystalized ginger)
1 glass of rum or brandy (this year I'm using brandy)
8 oz butter
8 oz brown sugar (I use muscovado)
6 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tspn bicarb soda
2 tspn parisienne essence (this is just a browning agent)
1 tblspn mixed spice
1 tblspn ground ginger
1 tspn instant coffee powder
1 tspn cocoa

(At this point, the only other instruction my mum's recipe has is: bake about 3.5 to 4 hours. I'll give you the method she taught me though. That might make it easier.)

Method

Place all dried fruit into a large bowl and pour over brandy. (I usually use 2 cups instead of 1, so did my mum) Leave to soak for about 2 weeks, stiring occasionally.

1. In a mixing bowl, add softened butter and sugar. Beat until creamed.

2. In a separate bowl, add all dry ingredients together. In another bowl crack room temperature eggs.

3. Alternately add eggs and dry ingredients to butter and sugar mixture on a low speed until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency, add in parisenne essence and mix thoroughly.

4. Remove bowl from mixing machine and add fruit mixture. Stir gently until all fruit is evenly distributed throughout cake batter.

5. Line a large cake pan with baking paper.

6. Pour cake mixture into pan.

7. Place filled cake pan into large roasting pan half filled with water. (this helps to keep the cake moist as it's cooking)

8. Place cake in a low heat oven. (about 150 celcius)

9. Bake for about 3.5 hours.

10. When cake is cooked, remove from oven and leave in cake pan to cool. (At this stage you can put slits in the top of the cake and pour additional brandy or rum over the cake if you desire. I don't do this, but some recipes suggest you can and it would be fine with this one.)

11. When cake is completely cool, remove it from the pan but leave the baking paper around the cake till you're ready to decorate or serve.