BRANDY FRUIT CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine the dried fruit and candied peel in a large bowl. Add the 4 tbsp brandy and stir in to mix well. Cover and leave overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 140°C/fan120°C/gas 1. Put the remaining ingredients except the almonds in a large bowl. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer until well combined. Stir in the nuts and the soaked fruit with any soaking liquid.
• Grease a deep 23cm round tin or 20cm square cake tin with butter, line with a double layer of baking paper and grease the paper (see Golden Rules). Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Level the top and cover with a disc of baking paper.
• Bake for 4-5 hours until firm to the touch and a skewer pushed into the middle comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
• When the cake has cooled, remove the baking paper disc, pierce the top in several places with a skewer, then pour over a little brandy. Remove the cake from the tin but keep it in the baking paper. Wrap with more baking paper, then wrap with foil. Store in a cool place for up to 3 months to mature, occasionally unwrapping and spooning over 1-2 tbsp brandy.
• Decorate the cake with glacé fruit, marzipan or ready-to-use icing. Tie a ribbon around the cake if you like before serving. Recipe from Mary Berry’s Complete Cookbook (£25; Dorling Kindersley)

Steps:

• TO START: Combine all ingredients in a clean, large glass jar.
• Stir gently with wooden spoon.
• Cover and let stand at room temperature for three weeks, stirring at least twice a week.
• Fruit is fermented when it is translucent.
• CARE AND FEEDING: Stir mixture daily.
• Every two weeks add one cup sugar and one cup of fruit and stir gently. Alternate fruits each time.
• Cover and let stand at room temperature at least three days before using.
• Do not add fruit more often than once every two weeks.
• Do not delay adding fruit for more than one or two days past schedule.
• IMPORTANT: To keep the starter going, retain at least three cups at all times.
• SHARING: Whenever you have more than six cups of fermented fruit, you may divide it into two portions, being sure there are at least three cups in each portion.
• Do this just before you would do a normal feeding.
• Feed each portion.
• Give one portion to a friend (with Care and Feeding directions) and keep one for yourself.
• Search on "friendship fruit" to find recipes that use this.
• There is also a Friendship Sourdough Starter (Recipe #647936) - yum!