Forum member Jo_jo_ba posted this recipe (and many other good ones) at http://www.grouprecipes.com and it’s perfect for those days when you need something fruity and substantial to go with your tea. The preparation is similar to my mum’s amazing Christmas cake where you boil the dried fruit with spices and a little liquid (plus alcohol) and leave it to cool before you add it to the dry ingredients.
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups water
1 cups dates, chopped (I used prunes)
1 cup raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger (I used two and may add chopped, preserved ginger next time)
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup carrot, grated
1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (I used fresh)
Directions
1. Grind wheat or other grain for 1 min/speed 10.
2. Tip flour into a bowl and add baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
3. Add water, dates, raisins, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg to TMX. Cook 8.5m/speed 1/REVERSE/100C.
4. While the fruit is cooking, grate the carrots and add to the TMX at the end of the cooking time. You may need to stir the carrot in. Leave the mixture to cool down and then add the orange juice and give it a couple of stirs on REVERSE.
5. Add the fruit mixture to the flour mix in the bowl and mix well. Pour the batter into a lightly greased cake pan. (No size was given in the original recipe, I used an 8″ round cake tin).
6. Bake at 375 degrees (180C) for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Scribblings from a chaotic kitchen 