This deep 6 inch fruit cake recipe is alcohol free so I use fruit juice as an alcohol substitute. Most supermarkets sell mixed fruit packets with all the fruit needed for a fruit cake, some of it even comes pre-soaked.   In this video I show you how to make fruit cake.

Mixed fruit can vary depending on where you buy it, some has glace cherries and some does not but the basics of the fruit mixture are the same.

I have not added any nuts to this recipe but if you like nuts in yours you can add them at the stage where you add the fruit and flour.   From my observation it seems almonds are the nut of choice in fruit cakes but I guess you can use any nuts you like. A 6 inch round fruit cake is a great size to serve a few or to go on the top of a tiered cake.
You can learn how to cover fruit cake with marzipan by watching a video tutorial which I made.

Ingredients

• 500 grams mixed fruit (soak them the night before in 190ml of the fruit juice of your choice, I use apple juice)
• 100 grams chopped glace cherries (mix these with the dried fruit and soak them together )
• 150 grams unsalted butter
• 150 grams light or dark muscovado sugar
• 150 grams plain flour
• 1 tablespoon treacle
• 3 medium eggs
• 1 and half teaspoons mixed spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• zest of one orange
• zest of one lemon

Method

• Grease and line, with baking paper, a 6 inch/15cm round cake tin with high sides.
• Pre heat the oven to 130 Celsius
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together
• Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition
• Add the treacle, the zests and vanilla extract and mix
• Add the flour and and dried fruit and mix well
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the top with a knife
• Bake in the oven for about 3 hours 30 mins
• Test with a cake tester and if it comes out clean it is ready.
• Leave it to cool completely before decorating.

I also have a recipe for an 8 inch round alcohol free fruit cake which you can have a look at