Prune X'mas Cake

Ingredients
(A)
350g prunes
250g raisins
125g currants (optional)
175g soft butter
175g dark brown sugar
175ml honey
125ml coffee liqueur (Tia Maria)
400ml orange juice and zest
1 tsp mixed spice/cinnamon & nutmeg powder
4 tbsp cocoa power (good quality)

(B)
3 eggs (large) – beaten
150g plain flour
75g baking powder
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method
1. Line a 20cm, 9cm deep round/square loose base cake tin with aluminum foil should come up higher than the sides of the tin.

2. Place ingredients (A) into a large wide saucepan and bring to boil gently, stir until the butter melts. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes or cool.

3. when the mixture is cool, add ingredients (B) into the above mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon until the ingredients well combined

4. Pour the cake mixture into the line cake tin and bake for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, or until the top of the cake is firm.
** The cake will have a shiny and sticky look, at this point; insert a cake tester into the middle of the cake. The cake should still be a little uncooked in the middle.

5. Place the cake in a cooling rake. Once the cake has cooled, pull the aluminum together with the cake from the tin and decorate as desired.

TIPS: cake better to serve after 2-3 hours or the next day.