Gingered rich fruit cake

• oil

  for greasing

• each dried currant100g g

  sultanas and raisins

• each semi-dried fig↗225g g

  and prunes, roughly chopped

• tub crystallised ginger200g g
• stem ginger↗100g g

  from a jar, chopped

• stem ginger syrup2 tbsp tbsp
• Cointreau↗4 tbsp tbsp
• each ground ginger1 tsp tsp

  and mixed spice

• zest 2 lemons
• olive oil↗150ml ml
• light muscovado sugar↗175g g
• eggs↗4
• gluten-free flour↗225g g
• gluten-free baking powder↗1 tsp tsp
• apricot jam↗4 tbsp tbsp
• Cointreau↗1 tbsp
• mixed fruit, including figs, prunes, date450g

  and apricots

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Lightly oil a 71⁄2cm deep, 25cm round cake tin, and line it with a double layer of baking parchment.

2. 2

   Mix the dried fruits, ginger and syrup, Cointreau, spices and lemon zest. Put the olive oil, sugar and eggs in a bowl, whisk together until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and tip in the fruit. Fold and stir together well.

3. 3

   Spoon the mixture into the cake tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2-21⁄2 hrs, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover with foil if the cake begins to over-brown. Take from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Remove, leaving the baking parchment in place until you decorate.

4. 4

   For the topping: warm the jam and Cointreau together until the jam is liquid, allow to cool. Arrange the fruit on the cake and brush with the jam.