Here we have an easy fruit cake recipe. We use dark spiced rum, but other spirits can be used (such as brandy, whisky or even sherry)

For the boozy fruit:
300g currants
200g sultanas
200g raisins
100g cranberries
60g glace cherries
50g mixed candied peel
200g dark spiced rum
1 tablespoon of rose water (we used Steenebergs’)

Combine and soak the above for 2-3 days

For the cake:
225g muscavado sugar
225g plain flour
225g butter, unsalted at room temperature
Large pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of ground mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
4 eggs
1 teaspoon of black treacle
50g halved pecans
1 teaspoon of lemon extract or zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 140C
Grease and line a 20cm cake tin
Add the cake ingredients (apart from the pecans) in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light, fluffy and fully combined
Add the nuts and pre-soaked fruit
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin
Wrap the sides of the tin in more baking paper and tie with a string
Cover the top with a square of baking paper (with a small hole in the middle), big enough to hang down the sides and tie with a string
Bake for 4-4.5 hours until the top is springy when lightly pressed
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes and then finish cooling on a wire rack
The cake is ready for ‘feeding’ with more rum
We put ours back in the tin and pour a shot over it every few days and keep it wrapped in clingfilm in a cool dry place