Farmhouse Fruit Cake

This recipe for Farmhouse Fruit Cake tastes just like the Classic Mr. Kipling! I regularly make this for the farmers on the farm where Mat’s stepdad does dog training. I searched forever to find a recipe that was just like Mr. K’s with no luck so with a bit of experimenting and playing with similar recipes, I came up with this. The cake can be baked in a 7 inch round tin or a 2lb loaf tin.

Ingredients: Serves 10

• 225g Self Raising white flour
• 175g vegetable margarine
• 75g light soft brown sugar
• 100g caster sugar
• 3 flax eggs (per ‘egg’ – 1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water and left to thicken for 5 minutes)
• 200g mixed dried fruit
• zest of one lemon or orange OR 2tbsp juice
• 3-4tbsp demerara sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c and line the tin
2. Cream together the margarine and sugars with an electric whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy
3. Add the flax eggs, one at a time and beat well after each
4. gently fold in the flour, followed by the zest (if using) and fruit
5. If using juice stir in at this stage
6. Spoon into the tin and sprinkle the demerara sugar on the top, all over the batter.
7. Bake for 1 hour, covering with foil after 40 minutes to avoid over-browning.
8. Turn out after a couple of minutes and leave to cool on a wire rack.
9. The cake will keep for up to a week in an airtight tin or in greaseproof paper and foil. The cake also freezes very well for up to 3 months.