Rich fruit cake

Years ago my grandmother gave me her recipe for old fashioned pound cake, which was baked for special occasions such as weddings, christenings, and Christmas. It was adapted from the New Zealand Country Women’s Institute Cookery Book.

Ingredients

6 eggs
340g butter
340g sugar
450g flour
450g sultanas
450g currants
115g almonds
115g mixed peel
Grated rind of 1 orange
1 Tbsp orange juice
1/4 Tsp baking soda
1/4 Tsp baking powder

Method

1. Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs, and beat well.
2. Add baking soda and baking powder to flour in a separate bowl, and mix throughly.
3. Add fruit, mixed peel, orange rind and juice to beaten eggs, butter, and sugar.
4. Gently mix the wet and dry ingredients together.
5. Pour into a lined baking tin (round or square), and bake about three hours in a moderate over.