English Fruit Cake

I'm not very keen on fruit cakes, but my mother does. So, from time to time se would ask me to bake it... And here I'm sharing with you my own recipe, developed after testing different flavours and fruits and so on... I know Fruit Cakes are easy, you just need butter, sugar, flour, raising agent, eggs and fruits. But the proportion is essential to get a moisture an well baked cake.

There are thousands of recipes but I like mine. Maybe is not the original one, neither the most accurate one, but my beloved mother likes it as well as my lovely "toodler"...

Ingredients
250 gr Unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 Tbsp Rhum
300 gr Flour
100 gr Ground almonds
200 gr Sugar
400 gr Chopped candied fruits (sultanas, orange, cherries)
1 Tsp Baking powder
3 large eggs

Instructions

• Soak the sultanas in the Rhum. Before use them squeeze and drain.
• Sift the flour and add the grounded almonds and baking powder. Mix well.
• In the bowl machine add the butter cutted into chunks and the sugar. Whisk until pale and doubles volume.
• Add the rhum where the sultanas were soaked. Whisk once again.
• Add the eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
• Now, gently, add the flour mixture while still whisking. Be careful not to whisk fast. Until all is well incorporated.
• Now, by hand, add the chopped fruits and mix it up.
• Grease and fold a mold (preferably a rectangular one) with baking paper.
• Pour the mixture into the baking mould. Be sure the dough is evenly spread.
• You already have preheated oven to 200 ºC.
• Put the cake in the oven and bake for an hour. But once you see the cake has risen, low down the heat to 150ºC- 130ºC until is done (you pinch with a stick or toothpick and if it goes out clean it's done)
• Let it cool down before unmould.