A light fruit cake with a dark side. Plump moist sultanas soaked in cider make this cake a delicious treat with either a cup of tea or a lovely warming pudding for an autumn day served with some creamy hot custard.

A perfect cake for someone with not too much of a sweet tooth.

Serves 12

200g sultanas

150ml sweet cider, plus 2tsp for the icing

175g soft butter

175g light soft brown sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2tbs medium cut marmalade

200g self – raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

1tsp mixed spice

2tsp ground cinnamon

2 red eating apples, cored and sliced

50g icing sugar, sifted

Method

Preheat the oven 180c, gas 4, 350f, grease and line a square or round 20cms x 20cms cake tin and line with non – stick baking paper.

Place the sultanas and cider in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stir well, then turn the heat off, cover and leave for an hour until the sultanas are nice and plump.

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, if the mixture starts to curdle then add a small amount of flour. Mix in the marmalade, followed by the flour, baking powder and spices. Add the sultanas and any syrup left in the pan and gently stir in.

The mixture will be quite wet but don’t worry.

Pour into the prepared tin top with the apple slices in either rows or a spiral depending on whether you are using a square or round tin and bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 45 – 50 minutes until golden brown and a cake skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack.

Mix the icing sugar with the 2tsp of cider until smooth and then drizzle over the cake.