ms*robyn's Christmas fruitcake

1 1/2kg fruit ( I mix my own)
1/2 cup brandy, whisky or rum
1 green apple
1 tblsp. honey or golden syrup
1 cup brown sugar
250g butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup SR flour
1 tsp. mixed spice

Place chopped mixed fruit in large basin add sherry; cover and soak for a week, stirring each day.

first of all grease and line your tin(20cm square or 23cm round - both deep) - with 3 layers of greaseproof paper, greased between each layer; bringing the paper approx. 5cm above edge of tin. preheat oven to slow (140C) and melt the butter - cool

add peeled and coarsley grate apple, honey, sugar and eggs; mix well with wooden spoon to break any clumps of fruit. add the cooled melted butter, sifted flours and spice. Mix thoroughly.

place in cake tin, pushing cake mix well into corners with a spoon. Once the mix is all in the tin, I like to drop the tin gently to settle the mix into the tin, expelling air bubbles.

Fold 5 sheets of newspaper to fit an oven tray and place cake tin onto the tray and bake in a slow oven for approx. 3 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and brush evenly with about 2 tblsps. of brandy. cover tightly with aluminium and wrap the whole thing in a towel to cool overnight . remove from tin and wrap in 3 layers of plastic wrap.

I then like to wrap the cake in a vintage tea towel and tie with string before placing in the pantry to mature til Christmas time.