INGREADIENT

• 500g mixed fruit
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 200g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• Pecans, to decorate
• Glace cherries, to decorate

Direction

1. Combine mixed fruit with brandy and leave in a bowl, covered, to soak overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 140C. Place a baking tray filled with water in the base of the oven. Line a 20cm ring tin with baking paper. You can create a ring tin by placing a metal dariole mould in the centre of a 20cm spring form tin, and covering it with baking paper.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using hand-held beaters, cream butter and sugars until pale. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in vanilla, then fold through flour and mixed spice, then the soaked fruit, including any liquid. Carefully spoon into prepared tin and smooth the top. Cover with foil and place in the oven on a rack above the water-filled tray.
4. Cook for 1 hour, then remove from the oven and arrange pecans and glace cherries around the top. Cover and return to the oven for a further 2 hours. Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes to brown up the top.