Ingredients:

• 600 gms – sultanas
• 400 gms – Raisins
• 200 gms – Currants
• 100 gms – glace cherries, quartered
• 100 gms – glace Orange slices, finely chopped
• 80 gms – glace ginger, finely chopped
• 290 ml – brandy
• 1.5 cups – plain flour
• 1/2 cup – self-raising flour
• 2 tsp – mixed spice
• 1 tsp – ground Ginger
• 250 gms butter, softened
• 1 cup – dark Brown sugar
• 4 – eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp – Orange marmalade
• Pure icing sugar, to serve

Method:

1. Place dried fruit, glace fruit and 1 cup brandy in a large airtight container. Mix well. Cover and stand overnight or preferably for 1 week, stirring occasionally.
2. Lightly grease a 9cm deep, 20cm (base) square cake pan. Line base and sides with brown paper and baking paper.
3. Preheat oven to 150C.
4. Sift flours and spices into a bowl. Using electric beaters, cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy.
5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add marmalade and 1 tbsp flour mixture and beat until well combined.
7. Using a large metal spoon, fold remaining flour mixture into butter mixture.
8. Add fruit mixture to butter mixture and stir until combined.
9. Press into pan. Smooth surface. Tap base of pan on workbench to settle fruit and remove air bubbles.
10. Cover cake with 3 layers brown paper. Bake for 3 to 3.5 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
11. Drizzle remaining 2 tbsp brandy over cake while still hot.
12. Wrap cake pan in a clean tea towel and allow to cool completely.
13. Remove cake from pan and dust with icing sugar. Serve.