Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 250 grams raisins
  • 250 grams currants
  • 100 grams dried cranberries
  • 100 grams glace cherries
  • 75 ml orange juice
  • 200 grams butter
  • 200 grams dark brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 100 grams dark chocolate
  • 1 vanilla pod (seeds only)
  • 200 grams self raising flour
  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 100 grams ground almonds
  • 1 orange (zest only)

Instruction

  • Soak the dried fruits in the orange juice for at least half an hour and if possible over night. 
  • Place these to one side while preparing the cake batter.
  • Line a deep cake tin (either 20cm round or 18cm square) and pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2 or 140C.
  • For the cake batter, begin by beating together the butter and sugar until it is creamy and fully combined.
  • Begin adding the eggs (one at a time) and beat well in between each addition.
  • Next, melt the chocolate gently in a bowl over a pan of hot water and fold into the butter, sugar and egg mix along with the seeds from the vanilla pod.
  • Fold in the self raising flour, cocoa, almonds and orange zest until a thick batter forms.
  • Add the fruits and orange juice to the bowl and mix thoroughly until the fruit goes all the way through the cake batter.
  • Pour into the lined tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 1 and a half hours or until the sponge bounces back when prodded with a finger or a skewer comes out clean.
  • Leave the cake in the tin to cool before decorating.