Lady Aga

Many of my guests tell me that the decision making factor on my website was the promise of homemade fruitcake on demand.

The cake sits between the rooms and guests can help themselves whenever a dose of the munchies hits them – though I was surprised to see 2 pieces disappear last week between going down to start on breakfast at 7.00am and popping upstairs again at 7.15!

I started with an AGA fruitcake recipe and have adapted it over the years to my own.

Now the funny thing is I really do not like fruitcake and have never tasted my own. It is one of the reasons I cook it as otherwise I would be double the size I am already – luckily I have a willing tester in my husband.

As my B&B guests seemed to be enjoying it so much and were pigging out for free I decided it was the ideal opportunity to raise some money for our local Community Hospital, so I had some recipe postcards made up which I invite fruit cake loving guests to buy in return for a donation.So now your turn to contribute. I have copied my secret fruit cake recipe below.

If you try it then please donate a small amount to the charity of your choice – Calories without guilt – perfect.

Enjoy

12oz mixed fruit

9oz self raising flour

6oz butter melted

6oz sugar ( caster, brown whatever )

2tsps of cinnamon or mixed spice

1tbs marmalade

6 eggs ( free range only please )

Mix together dry ingredients with the marmalade. Add eggs and butter and mix well

Line two 1lb loaf tines or one 8inch round cake tin with silicon paper ( I use those cake tin liners you just pop in – perfect and very quick ).

Put in cake mix and cook in the bottom of the AGA for 1.5 – 2.5 hours.

Sorry I can not be more exact but the timing varies ( and it has taken about 30 seconds to prepare so far – so a little attention now is no bad thing! ) – you are looking for just cooked and slightly squidgy. Slightly springy when you press the middle but not rock hard.

If you do not have an AGA then a conventional oven at about 140 degrees C should do it