Farmhouse Honey Fruit Cake Recipe

175 g/6 oz butter or margarine, softened
175 g/6 oz clear honey

Grated rind of 1 lemon

3 eggs, lightly beaten
225 g/8 oz/2 cups wholemeal (wholewheat) flour
10 ml/2 tsp baking powder
5 ml/1 tsp ground mixed (apple-pie) spice
100g/4 oz raisins

100 g/4 oz sultanas (golden raisins)
100 g/4 oz currants
50g/2 oz ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped
50g/2 oz chopped mixed (candied) peel
25 g/1 oz ground almonds

25g/1 oz almonds

Method:

Cream together the butter or margarine, honey and lemon rind until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, then fold in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice. Stir in the fruit and ground almonds. Spoon into a greased and lined 20 cm/8 in cake tin (pan) and make a slight hollow in the centre. Arrange the almonds around the top edge of the cake. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C/325°F/ gas mark 3 for 2–2.5 hours until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cover the top of the cake with greaseproof (waxed) paper towards the end of the cooking time if it is over-browning. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to finish cooling.