Fruit Cake

I love fruit cake so was glad when i came across the following recipe on the slimming world website.

I do need o keep an eye on it while it's cooking as mine took just over an hour to cook.

Ingredients

• 110g non-soak prunes, stoned and chopped
• 275g mixed dried fruit
• 50ml brandy or rum
• 175g plain flour
• 1 level tsp baking powder
• 50g glace cherries
• 50g mixed peel, chopped
• 1 level tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 level tsp mixed spice
• Pinch of salt
• 50g dark Muscovado sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Glazed Fruit and Nut Topping

• 1 level tbsp low-sugar apricot jam
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 28 glace cherries
• 8 pecan nuts, shelled
• 12 almonds, shelled

Method

1. Put the prunes and mixed fruit in a large bowl and pour over the brandy or rum. Mix together and leave to soak for a few hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C Fan/Gas 3. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and stir in the glacé cherries and mixed peel. Add the spices and salt and stir in well so that everything is lightly coated with flour.
3. Stir in the sugar and then beat in the egg with a wooden sppon. Add the soaked fruit, together with the soaking liquid, and the zest and juice of the orange and lemon. Mix well together. If the mixture is too stiff, you can thin it down with a little more lemon juice.
4. Spoon the cake mixture into a lined 18cm square tin and smooth the top of the cake. Bake in the preheated oven for about 2 hours, or until s skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. If the cake is browning too much, cover it with some greaseproof paper while it cooks.
5. Let the cake cool in the tin, then remove and wrap in greaseproof paper and foil. Store in a cool, dry place until you are ready to decorate it with the glazed fruit and nut topping.
6. For the glazed fruit topping
   
   Put the apricot jam and brandy in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon until well blended.
7. Brush a little of the apricot glaze lightly over the top of the cake. Arrange the cherries and nuts in an attractive pattern on top and then brush them with the remaining glaze.
8. When the topping is cold, tie a pretty festive ribbon around the sides of the cake and then store in a tin or airtight container in a cool place. The topping will stay fresh for several weeks.