Festive Fruit Cake

Soak the fruits and nuts in 1 tbsp of sherry or brandy over night.

Place the fruits and nuts, water and butter together in a large bowl and heat until the fat has melted and the liquid is hot. This can be done on the hob or in the microwave oven (High power for 4 – 5 minutes).

Allow to cool slightly, then add eggs, flour and baking soda. Mix well.

Remove the blade from the bread pan and line the bottom and sides with baking parchment or a loaf tin liner.

Place the mixture into the bread pan, being careful to ensure that the mixture is inside the baking parchment.

Select bake mode and enter 1 hour on the timer.

After baking, test with a skewer to see if the cake is cooked. If the cake does require extra time, select the bake mode again and enter a further 3- 5 minutes on the timer. If it is still just slightly sticky, this will cook through during the stand period.

Take the bread pan out of the bread maker using oven gloves. Leave to stand for 5 – 10 minutes before removing from the bread pan and allowing to cool.