Pure Fruit Cake
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes
Serves: 12
Nutrition: Per serving
Energy
250 Kcals
Fat
1.9g
Saturates
0.2g
Sugars
41g
Salt
0.37g
The puréed dates act as a fat substitute in this recipe and bind all the fruit together to produce a cake that is rich enough for a Christmas cake. All it needs is Santa!
Ingredients
A little unsaturated spread, for greasing
250g stoned dates
300ml (½ pint) water
175g seedless raisins
125g sultanas
125g currants
50g candies mixed peel, chopped
175g wholemeal plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon mixed spice
grated rind and juice of 1 orange or lemon
25g flaked almonds
Can be decorated with a few walnuts and glace cherries (optional)
Method
Grease and line a 1kg (2lb) loaf tin. Place the dates in a saucepan with the measured water and heat gently until they are soft. Remove from the heat and mash with a fork until puréed.
Place the date purée in a bowl with all the remaining ingredients, except the flaked almonds, and 4 tablespoons of water. Mix together well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top. Sprinkle with flaked almonds.
Bake in the centre of a preheated oven, 160 C (325 F), Gas Mark 3, for 1½ hours until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. After an hour of cooking, if necessary protect the top of the cake with foil to stop it burning.
Allow the cake to cool a little in the tin, then turn out and finish cooling on a wire rack.