Fruit Cake with Dark Beer

Name: Fruit Cake with Dark Beer
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Ingredients: 175 g unsalted butter; 450 g mixed dried fruit; 1 orange zest and juice; 175 g light brown sugar; 200 ml dark beer/stout (or strong tea); 1 tsp baking soda; 3 eggs (beaten); 300 g all-purpose/plain flour; 2 tsp mixed spice; 2 tsp demerara sugar/coarse brown sugar (for topping)

Rich and flavourful dark beer fruit cake — the fruit is cooked first, then baked. Pairs well with tea.

1h 55m

Easy

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Ingredients

unsalted butter 175 g

mixed dried fruit 450 g

orange zest and juice 1

light brown sugar 175 g

dark beer/stout (or strong tea) 200 ml

baking soda 1 tsp

eggs (beaten) 3

all-purpose/plain flour 300 g

mixed spice 2 tsp

demerara sugar/coarse brown sugar (for topping) 2 tsp

Instructions

Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 150ºC (300ºF, gas mark 2). Grease and line a 20cm/8 inch deep tin.

Simmer the fruit mixture

In a large saucepan, place the butter, fruit, orange zest and juice, sugar, and beer. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to make sure the butter is fully melted. Once simmering, slow cook for 15 minutes. This will plump up the fruit and the mixture will become thick and rich.

Cool and add baking soda

Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Once the time is up, stir in the baking soda. The mixture will foam and bubble.

Mix in remaining ingredients

Stir in the eggs, then add the flour and spice. Keep stirring until fully combined. This will be a juicy, moist mixture.

Bake

Pour into the prepared tin and level the surface. Sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over the top and bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.