Honey Fruit Cake

Ingredients

  • 4 cups 
    raisins
  • 1 cup 
    currants
  • 1 cup 
    chopped dates
  • 1 cup 
    chopped prunes
  • 1 cup 
    chopped mixed peel
  • 1 cup 
    chopped glace cherries
  • ½ cup 
    chopped dried apricots
  • ⅓ cup 
    rum
  • 1 cup 
    butter
  • 1 cup 
    Bee Maid liquid honey
  • 1 ½ tsp. 
    lemon rind
  • eggs
  • 1 Tbsp. 
    Strawberry jam
  • 2 ½ cups 
    all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. 
    baking soda
  • ¼ tsp. 
    salt
  • ½ tsp. 
    cinnamon
  • ⅛ tsp. 
    nutmeg
  • ⅛ tsp. 
    allspice
  • apple, peeled and grated
  • 1 cup 
    chopped almonds
  • 2 Tbsp. 
    brandy

Directions

In a large bowl, place raisins, currants, dates, prunes, mixed peel, glace cherries, and apricots. Pour rum over the fruit; cover and let stand overnight. Cream together the butter, honey, and lemon rind. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in jam. Sift together the flour, soda, salt, and spices and stir into the soaked fruit mixture. Add the fruit and flour mixture to the creamed ingredients in four parts, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the grated apple and almonds. Grease and line two 9x5x2 inch (2L) loaf pans with waxed paper and fill with cake batter. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and continue baking for another 1½ hours. Once out of the oven, sprinkle cakes with brandy; cover with aluminum foil and a tea towel and allow to cool completely. Remove from pans when cooled completely and wrap airtight for storage.

Recipe courtesy of Recipe courtesy of The Canadian Honey Council