Boiled Fruit Cake

Boiling the fruit for a fruit cake makes is wonderfully moist, and this cake adds a little extra flavour by using a tea bag in the fruit mix. This is a simple bake that makes for a delicious afternoon treat with a cup of tea.

Recipe - Serves 8

• 120g sultanas
• 65g raisins
• 65g currants
• 1 tea bag
• 120ml water
• 70g butter
• 80g caster sugar
• 1 egg, beaten 
• 200g self-raising flour

Grease and line the base of a loose-bottomed 6 inch sandwich tin, then set aside. Combine the fruit, tea bag, water, butter and caster sugar in a pan and heat gently to melted. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove and leave for 1 hour to cool.

Preheat the oven to 160C. Beat the egg into the fruit mixture, then sift in the flour and fold in. Tip into the prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely before serving.