Gunpowder Fruit Cake

1. Line a 23cm cake tin with a double layer of Glad Bake.

2. Combine all fruits, marmalade, Cointreau and spices in a large saucepan.
Slowly bring to the boil, then cover and remove from heat. Allow the
mixture to sit overnight.

3. Pre-heat oven to 130deg.C. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour and
baking powder and add to the creamed mixture with the fruits.

4. Spoon mixture into tin and smooth over the top surface. Sprinkle over
the nuts and press lightly into the cake mixture. Bake for about 2 hours or
until cooked when tested with a wooden skewer.

5. Remove cake from oven and brush with Cointreau immediately. Cover with
foil and follow instructions in the Fruit Cake Notes.

Fruit Cake Notes

1. Choose good quality dried fruit and nuts – check that nuts are fresh
without the taint of rancidity. For a fine texture in the cake, cut all
fruit to the size of a sultana. Any combination of fruit can be used – it
must be equal weight to that used in the recipe. Make sure the flavours are
complimentary. Soak fruit, if necessary, at least overnight. Cover fruit
while soaking to prevent evaporation of liquid.

2. Lining the tin – use brown paper, greaseproof paper or Glad Bake. It is
best to use 2 layers.

3. Butter – use unsalted butter.

4. Eggs – large hen’s eggs or duck’s eggs can be used. 60g. hen’s eggs are
used in these recipes, so if using duck’s eggs, weigh them in their shell
for the equivalent weight to hen’s eggs.

5. Sugar – when white sugar is required, use caster sugar. For a darker
colour, use brown or black sugar, golden syrup or treacle. Artificial dark
colour can be added with Parisien essence but it has no flavour.

6. Alcohol – Medium sherry, dark rum, whisky, brandy or orange-flavoured
liqueur (Cointreau or Grand Marnier) are the usual flavours for fruit
cakes. Brush 1-2 tablespoons over the cake immediately it is removed from
the oven. Then cover the cake firmly with a double layer of aluminium foil
while the cake is still hot and leave aside until completely cold.

7. Tapping – After putting mixture in the tin and smoothing the surface,
drop the tin 3 times to remove air bubbles.

8. Cooking – Times are difficult to estimate because we all use different
ovens. If the cake is becoming too dark, lower the temperature and cover
with some brown paper. If using a convection oven, use low fan speed or no
fan. Fruit cakes are best cooked slowly on low temperature.

9. Storage – When the cake is completely cold, remove from the tin but
leave the Glad Bake intact and wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap. Do
not leave foil in contact with the cake as the alcohol will pit the foil.
Then wrap the cake in an old clean towel and store in a cool, dark, dry
place in the pantry. Once the cake has been cut, store in a well-sealed
container. Do not store in the refrigerator – this may cause the sugars to
crystallize.