Bunty’s Fruit Cake

Bunty’s daughter Maggie, has given me her mother’s recipe that she tells me was printed in the Daily Telegraph before WW2. Bunty was from Bristol and the family have been making this delicious fruit cake ever since! Like Maggie, if any of my followers have a family recipe they would like me to feature, please forward it on Messenger, I would be delighted to make and post it. What I loved about this cake was that by using the base, then altering a few ingredients, you can chose, chop and change the flavours. Just wonderful. Trust me, trust Bunty, who sadly died last week age 97.

Pre heat your fan over to 150C.  Lightly butter a 2 lb loaf tin and line with parchment, coming up over the long sides to help you lift it out. If you use a smaller, e.g. 1½lb tin, then you may need to increase the baking time as it will be deeper. 

Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl in the following order:

8 oz SR flour [or wholemeal with 2 tsp baking powder]

4 oz of any sugar - caster or brown

12 oz mixed fruits and nuts to you own taste

[eg currants, sultanas, apricots, cherries, prunes and nuts]

2 eggs

4 oz melted butter or sunflower oil

¼ teas mixed spice

¼ teas nutmeg

Bare teacupful of milk 

pinch salt

vanilla or almond extract

Notes: In the 1940s, they would have used whole milk, or buttermilk. Add extra spice if you wish. If using prunes, chop, but do not add until the end. A good for using up the half packets or tubs of fruit and nuts.

The original recipe told you to beat for 5 mins. Maggie tells me that with an electric mixer, beat for about 2 mins. If using wholemeal leave the batter for an extra 5 mins before placing in your tin and you may need a little more milk.

Place the mix into your prepared tin and bake for about an hour, maybe 5 mins more, until a fine skewer comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

The cake is a great keeper, if wrapped in foil or in an airtight tin.

Note 2: I used caster sugar, sunflower oil, chopped apricots, chopped dates, cherries, sultanas, a little peel and some chopped toasted hazelnuts.

Thank you so much, Maggie, who lives in Devon now.