Sometimes between 10-11am I have missed breakfast and I am not quite ready for lunch, I wanted to make something that isn’t too indulgent or fattening but still juicy and moist as I hate dry cakes. So this recipe is a cross between a loaf and cake and is really yummy. I love the sugar on the top it reminds me of a cake my nan used to make, there is only 50g butter and 100g of light sugar so much healthier than alternatives! The fruit is so so so juicy as it has been soaked so you can use up any opened packets of used dried fruits as the tea and orange will give them a new lease of life. It didn’t last long in our house we stored for a week in a cake tin.

Ingredients

• 300g of dried fruit (I used a 170g bag of mixed dried fruit and 130g sultanas)
• 200ml hot tea
• 1 orange juice and zest
• 50g butter
• 100g light brown/muscovado sugar
• 1 egg
• 225g self-raising flour
• 4 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

1. Place the dried fruits in a bowl and pour over the hot tea, orange juice and zest. Cover with cling film, then leave to soak overnight.
2. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 2lb loaf tin. Beat together the butter and sugar until creamy, then beat in the egg followed by the flour, (be careful not to overbeat though).
3. If fruit hasn’t soaked up all the liquid, drain and then lightly fold through batter mixture, spoon mixture into the tin, then smooth over the surface with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle all over with a thick layer of demerara sugar.
4. Bake for 1 hr or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out, cut into slices and serve.