SPICY DATE AND NUT FRUIT CAKE.

Ingredients.....230gm of butter/ marg, 170 gm of soft brown sugar, 45 ml of treacle, 4 eggs lightly beaten, 340gm of self raising flour mixed with 1 dsp of ground nutmeg, 1 tbs of gropund cinnamon, 1 dsp of ground ginger, 60 gm of granulated nuts, 230gm of pitted dates roughly chopped, 340gm of sultanas, 45ml of Apera ( sweet cream sherry). Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a 20cm square pan. Cream the butter/ margarine and sugar together. Stir in the treacle. Beat in the lightly beaten eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of the flour spice mix. Now mix in the granulated nuts, the remaining flour, dates, sultanas and Apera. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Slightly hollow the centre of the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours or until the cake is risen and firm to touch, best to check with a skewer inserted and coming out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan and then cool completely on a wire rack. This cake can be stored for 2 weeks in an airtight container or for 4 months in your freezer. I like this cake served simply as is or with a light sprinkle of icing sugar, but this is now your creation, decorate as you like. Enjoy with coffee, tea and friends.