Tea and Fruit Cake

This cake isn't the prettiest you've ever seen but oh my, it is a real stunner in the flavour stakes. The orange juice and zest take it to a whole new level and It actually improves over a couple of days. I know you are going to love it, even if you don't normally like fruit cake. Please don't use an old dried up orange as the flavour just won't be the same.

100g dried apricots chopped

150g Sultanas

50g raisins

1 cup of hot black tea 

zest and juice of a large juicy orange

300g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

200g unsalted butter, very soft

3 large eggs, beaten

300g self-raising flour

a pinch of salt

4 tablespoon demerara sugar    

You will also need a 22x22 loose bottomed square tin, greased and lined 

      

Preheat the oven to 170c/325f/Gas mark 3.

Chop the apricots into 1cm pieces and tip into a large saucepan along with the dried fruit zest and orange juice. Cover with tea water and leave to soak for at least 4 hours.

Pop the pan onto the heat, simmer until the liquid has nearly all but evaporated and add the sugar, butter and vanilla extract and stir until the butter has melted. Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes. 

Mix in the eggs and then fold in the flour and a pinch of salt.

Spoon into the prepared tin and spread level. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar and bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 55-70 minutes until well-risen and golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cover with foil if the cake starts to brown too quickly.