Heavenly fruit cake

I am not usually a fan of fruit cake, but I can’t get enough of this one! It’s incredibly easy to make, freezes well and is perfect when hosting a big group of people.

Makes a 28cm cake

Prep: 10 minutes, plus overnight for soaking the fruit mince
Cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1kg fruit mince
• 2 cups strong black coffee or orange juice (freshly squeezed if possible)
• 1 egg
• 250g Whittaker’s macadamia chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2 cups standard flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

Method:
1. Soak fruit overnight in coffee or orange juice.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 28cm cake tin or oven dish with baking paper (grease the sides if you just line the bottom).
3. Mix egg into fruit mixture, then add chocolate. Add flour and baking powder, and mix.
4. Pour into cake tin and bake for approximately 30 minutes, then cover the top of the cake with brown paper or foil to stop the top burning. Bake for another 5–15 minutes, until a knife inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean (ignoring any melted chocolate). Turn out onto a rack to cool.

From Prue McLafferty, mum of Harry, Nathaniel and Fergus in Everyday Easy Eats.

By Lyn Potter. Read more here.