Ingredients

• 4 oz (125 g) dried apricots, washed thoroughly, cut into quarters
• 1 orange, grated rind and juice
• 2 tablespoonfuls sherry
• 4 oz (125 g) glacé cherries, washed in warm water and dried thoroughly
• 1 lb (500 g) cleaned mixed dried fruit
• 10 oz (300 g) plain strong white bread flour, sifted
• a pinch salt
• 1 level teaspoonful baking powder
• 1 level teaspoonful ground cinnamon
• 8 oz (250 g) butter
• 8 oz (250 g) caster sugar
• 4 eggs, size 3 or 4
• ½ teaspoonful vanilla essence

Method

1. Wash the apricots thoroughly, then cut into quarters (easiest with scissors). Grate the orange rind into the apricots, then stir in the orange juice and sherry. Cover and leave overnight to allow the apricots to soften and absorb the orange juice and sherry.
2. To line the cake tin, pencil around the base of the tin on to a doubled sheet of greaseproof paper and cut out the two paper rounds just inside the pencilled line. Cut a doubled strip of greaseproof paper to go round the inside of the tin but 2 inches deeper and 2 inches longer. Make a one-inch fold along the folded edge of the strip and snip diagonally up to the fold at one-inch intervals; this allows the snipped edge to lie neatly on the base of the tin. Brush the inside of the tin with melted fat and put one of the greaseproof rounds in the base. Curve the long strip round the inside of the tin, easing the fold into the angle and the snipped edge to lie flat on the base. Brush again with melted fat and place the other round of paper in the base.
3. Wash the cherries in warm water, dry them thoroughly and stir into the mixed dried fruit. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon and stir 4 tablespoonfuls into the glacé cherries and mixed fruit, making sure that all the fruit is completely separated.
4. Cream the butter until it is smooth, either with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer, then add the sugar and beat well together until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
6. Put the mixture into the prepared tin, smooth over the surface, then make a slight hollow in the centre to help keep the surface of the cake level when it rises.
7. Bake the cake in the centre of a slow oven, Gas Mark 3 or 325°F or 160°C, for about 3 hours. The cake is cooked when a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Notes