Mum's Light Fruit Cake

Mum's Light Fruit Cake

• 2 tbsp orange flower water
• zest and juice 1 orange
• zest and juice 1 lemon
• 140g unsalted butter, softened
• 140g golden caster sugar
• 2 large eggs,beaten
• 175g plain flour
• 100g undyed glacé cherry, halved
• 100g dried apricot, roughly chopped
• 100g mixed peel, chopped (we used Sundora)
• 100g golden sultana
• 50g shelled pistachio, left whole
• 50g (3 balls) stem ginger from a jar

1. Heat oven to fan 140c
2. Grease and double-line the base and sides of a deep, 6"cake tin.
3. Wrap a double layer brown paper around the outside of the tin too, then secure with string.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs gradually.
5. In a small bowl, mix the orange flower water with the zest and juice of the orange and lemon. Fold in the flour, then dried fruit, pistachios and ginger into the creamed mix, followed by the juice and zest mix.
6. Spoon the mix into the prepared tin and bake for 30 mins, then turn oven down to fan 130c and bake for another 1hr 45 mins until risen, golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
7. Leave to cool for 15 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool.