Some ladies from our church are baking these delicious cakes at Elizabeth House today.  Why not make some of your own.  Use marzipan and icing to decorate them once they are cooked.

Ingredients

8oz (225g) plain flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ginger

1 tbsp mixed spice

8oz (225g) butter

8oz (225g) soft brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 pack (500g) dried fruit

2oz (50g) cherries, chopped into quarters

3 tbsp orange juice

What You Do:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1/120Fan/140C.
3. Measure out all of your ingredients.
4. Sieve the flour, salt and spices into a medium mixing bowl. Mix them together with a wooden spoon.
5. Now put the butter and sugar into your largest mixing bowl and cream them together.
6. Crack the eggs into the smallest bowl and beat them together.
7. Add the egg mixture to the creamed butter and sugar a tablespoon at a time, making sure that you mix everything together thoroughly.
8. Now carefully fold the flour and spices into the egg, butter and sugar mix.
9. Next, add the dried fruit, cherries and orange juice.
10. Now you’re ready to pour your cake mix into the baking tin.
11. If you are using a muffin tin try to fill the cases to the top and smooth the mixture flat with a spoon.
12. Muffins will need to be cooked for about one hour.
13. If you put the mix into a 20cm cake tin cook it for 4-41/2 hours.

To test if your cake is ready put a cocktail stick or metal skewer into the middle of the cake.  If it comes out clean then your cake is ready.