Summer fruit and ginger cake

This is a large cake, and will keep well, provided it is carefully re-wrapped after cutting. I suggest baking it a few days in advance to allow the flavours and moist texture to develop.

• 500g butter
• 400g sugar
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 500g plain flour, sifted with 2 level teaspoons ground ginger
• 250g each sultanas, dried pineapple, dried apricots,
• 125g each dried peaches or nectarines and dried pears
• 50g crystallised ginger Juice and grated zest of an orange
• 6 tablespoons white rum
• 100ml Gozo honey or Golden Syrup, heated until runny, but not hot

Cut up all the dried fruit to the size of the sultanas; you can do this quickly in a food processor, but avoid making a paste of the fruit.

Double line and grease a square cake tin, a ring tin or a loaf tin, the equivalent volume of a 22 to 25 cm/9 to 10 inch round cake tin, and pre-heat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F, gas mark 4.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and flour alternately, thoroughly mixing in each addition, but folding gently rather than beating. Stir in the fruit, ginger, juice, rum and honey. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin.

Smooth the top, making a slight dip in the centre, as this is where the cake rises most; it will be less likely to ‘crack’. Bake in the middle of the oven for about two to two-and-a-half hours. This cake is also very good with the addition of nuts and seeds, such as pistachios, almonds, pine nuts, pumpkin and sunflower.