Sophie's fruit cake

This might be my favourite cake of the season, a buttery loaf that's generously dotted with dried fruit. To me, it's more comforting than banana bread.

The recipe comes from my friend Sophie, and it's actually the very first cake she gave me. I'd never been given an entire cake before, with the exception of a birthday cake, so it felt pretty special. Tony and I found this same loaf and a small vase of homegrown flowers on our doorstep the other month, after we'd returned home from an overnight trip to Sydney to attend the funeral of a friend.

The original recipe comes from Sophie's grandmother and you can read its story here. Thank you for sharing the recipe Sophie, and for knowing the special comfort a homemade cake can bring :)

Sophie's fruit cake

You'll need:

250 grams self raising flour

150 grams brown sugar

1/2 tbsp mixed spice

75 grams dried figs, chopped

75 grams dried dates, chopped

75 grams dried apricots, chopped 

75 grams sultanas

125 grams butter

2 eggs

3/4 cup of milk

Here's how:

Set your oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease and line a loaf tin. Melt the butter on the stove and set aside to cool. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add the wet ingredients. I used my KitchenAid and mixed it on high for a few minutes until totally combined but Sophie says you can also do it by hand and mix like you've never mixed before. Pour the mixture into a cake tin and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

And just a tip:

This recipe is easily doubled, I've actually halved the original recipe and regretted it less than a week later when all our cake was gone. You can also substitute the dried fruits and use things like dried cranberries. It's delicious on its own or you can serve it with a bit of butter and jam for afternoon tea, or ice cream for dessert. Sophie also decorates heres with raw almonds pre-bake.

Find more Sentimental Cake recipes here.