Ingredients

• 170g pitted prunes
• 115g dried apple rings
• 115g dried apricots
• 50ml brandy, whisky or tea
• 170g soft butter
• 85g fruit sugar
• 1 orange, zest and juice
• 1 small apple, washed and grated
• 4 medium (or 3 large) eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg, fresh grated
• 85g ground almonds
• 85g rice bran
• 1 tsp baking powder

Method

1. The day before you make the cake, chop the dried fruit into a bowl and pour over the brandy, whisky or tea. Leave overnight, stirring when you're passing.
2. Line the bottom of a 20cm deep cake tin with a double layer of greaseproof or baking paper. Set the oven to 150C/300F/gas 2.
3. Cream the butter and fruit sugar, then stir in the chopped fruit, orange zest and grated apple. Add the vanilla and spices and beat the eggs in one at a time. Don't worry if it looks a bit curdled, it will be fine!
4. Stir in the ground almonds, rice bran and baking powder thoroughly. Finally, stir in half the orange juice to start with, adding more if necessary to make a soft consistency.
5. Pour into the cake tin and level the top. Tie a double thickness of newspaper or old manila envelopes around the outside with string or thread.
6. Bake for 1 to 2 hours until a skewer comes out clean. As soon as the tin is cool enough to touch, put a piece of foil tightly over the top and leave till completely cold (this softens the top of the cake). Remove from the tin and wrap in a double thickness of foil. If possible, keep it for one to two weeks in an airtight tin to mature before eating.

Notes