Rich Plum Cake

Now this recipe is very different from your usual fruit cake, with some very different ingredients, [tin strawberries??]  but trust me, it is very good, so deliciously moist and fruity. A little eccentric perhaps, but give it a try, one dull afternoon! I found this is the old Talking about Cakes book from the 1970s. 

You will need a 7 or 8 “ spring form tin, greased and lined. Pre heat your fan oven to 130C. I used an 8”.

4 oz butter

4 oz soft dark brown sugar

1 oz dark chocolate, melted

4 oz plain flour

small half teaspoon cinnamon

small half teaspoon mixed spice

small half teaspoon nutmeg

3 large eggs, separated,

4 oz glacé cherries

4 oz chopped almonds

8 oz raisins

8 oz sultanas

8 oz currants

6 oz mixed peel

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tin strawberries, drained

Whiskey or Rum to soak the cake when baked

In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar, then beat in the melted chocolate. Whisk the egg whites until fairly stiff.

Mix the flour and spices then roughly divide into 3. Add the first 3rd to the creamed mixture, together with the egg yolks and beat thoroughly. Add the second part to the stiffly beaten egg whites. Assemble all the dried fruit then add the last 3rd to the fruit. Mix all three parts together along with the lemon juice and the well drained strawberries.

Tip into your prepared tin and bake in a slow oven for about 2 hours. 

When cooked and still in the tin, pour over about 4 tablespoons of your chosen spirit!! I used Rum. Leave for a while, for the booze to soak through, then cool on a rack. 

As you can imagine, it is absolutely beautiful, well worth the effort. A great keeper too.

No more recipes for a few weeks. See you at the end of July with a very special recipe!