FRUITY LOAF

This cake is a real favourite here and I make it regularly, then I go searching for the new and glamorous (!), but I always come back to the old faithful.  This recipe has many things going for it - A.  it keeps beautifully, (which is good because) B.  it makes three  fruit loafs, C. it is practically fat free (just whatever fat is in the egg yolks) and finally D. I don't like tea or most dried fruit, so there is no danger of me pigging out on it!!!!!!

The recipe comes from the Avoca Cafe Cookbook (2) - you should just see the state of this page in my book!!!  You do need a bit of preparation for these cakes, as you leave the fruit to absorb the whiskey and tea overnight - but this is really worth while as it makes them so moist .

I'm going to visit S (who has had her gall bladder operation) and will bring one of these along - a cake that is very low fat, tastes good, AND is healthy - with all that fruit ( if you forget about the sugar!), possibly the perfect "Get Well Soon" gift  (she says hopefully!!!).

This is the recipe as it has evolved:


Fruit Loaf

400g               brown sugar
2 1/2  cups      hot tea
1/2     cup       whiskey
450g               luxury mixed fruit
350g              sultanas or raisins
100g              cherries (glace)
3                    eggs
250g               plain flour
200g               wholemeal flour
3 tsp               baking powder
1tsp                cinnamon
2 tsp                mixed spice


Dissolve the sugar in the hot, strong tea. *
Add the whiskey and then the fruit.
Soak overnight.
Next day preheat the oven to 170 C.
Prepare three loaf tins (900g) with baking paper.
Mix the eggs, flour, cinnamon, mixed spice and baking powder to the fruit mixture.
Pour into the prepared tins.
Bake for one hour.
When cooked a skewer will come out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

* I usually use loose tea, but if I use bags I leave them in the fruit overnight (to get maximum flavour) if you do this it is VERY IMPORTANT not to forget to take them out before baking as it is very embarrassing to cut into a cake and find a tea bag (she says with a red face!) in the slice you are about to serve.