¾ lb all-purpose flour
¼ level teaspoon salt
½ level teaspoon baking powder
½ level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
¼ level teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ level teaspoon ground ginger
¼ level teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 level teaspoon mixed spice
2½ oz cold butter
6oz soft brown sugar
6oz sultanas
6oz currants
5oz raisins
1oz chopped candied peel
2oz glacé cherries or dried sour cherries
The finely grated rind of a lemon
The finely grated rind of an orange
1 beaten egg
½ pint of milk

Method

1.   Preheat your oven to 350ºF/180ºC/Gas 4
2.   Line the cake tin with non-stick baking paper
3.   Into a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and mixed spice
4.   Rub the butter into the flour and spice mixture and then add the brown sugar
5.   Add all the fruit, the grated lemon and orange rind and stir everything together well
6.   Make a hollow in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the beaten egg and milk into it.  Stir everything together thoroughly, but don't over-beat it - you want to keep some air in the mixture
7.   Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for an hour
8.   After an hour, turn the oven temperature down to 325ºF/160ºC/Gas 3 and cook the cake for a further hour, or until a skewer pushed into the center comes out clean.  (NB: If you notice the top of the cake is getting too brown at any point during cooking, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil)
9.   At the end of the cooking time, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely
10. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve in thick slices or wedges