RICH FRUIT CAKE

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup butter at room temperature
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup ground almonds
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp orange zest
½ cup of rum or brandy
1 tsp of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and dry ginger powder
100 grms mixed nuts chopped,hazel, walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashew
300 grms mixed, raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries, chopped
600 grms mixed dried fruits, apricots, prunes, candied peels, etc chopped

Method:
Grease a non-stick 20cm spring form pan.
Line the bottom and sides with buttered parchment paper.
See that the paper extends about 2 inches above the pan.
Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.

Mix the 600 grms, and 300 grms fruits in ½ cup of brandy or rum.
Keep this at room temperature over night. You do this previous night.

Sieve the flour mixed with the baking powder, salt and mixed spices.

Use a large bowl and whisk the butter first.
Now add in the 2 sugars and whisk until fluffy.
Now add in the eggs one by one and whisk well.
Add in zest of orange and lemon. Fold in the ground almonds.

Now add in the nuts, and all the soaked fruits.
Fold in slowly. Now add in the sieved flour little by little,
and fold this into the cake batter.

Spoon this mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
Reduce the oven temperature to 150 degrees C.
Continue to bake for another 1 hour or until the skewer comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven, place on a wire rack to cool.
Pierce the cake with thoothpick and pour about 2 tbs of brandy on top and let it soak. This will enhance the flavour and give longer shelf life.
Before storing, cover the cake completely with wax paper first, then with aluminium foil and keep in the refrigerator.


NOTE: Some people will make caramel, to add to the cake to get a rich brown colour.