Ripon Spice Cake

This recipe comes from a rather lovely book, Cakes, regional & traditional by Julie Duff.

I bought it last year with my Christmas book tokens.
Julie Duff knows her cakes and writes in a very easy manner giving tips when necessary and the history around the recipes. There are some beautiful photographs that guarantee to make your mouth water and make you want to don your piny and start baking:)
Fruit cakes are a real favourite in the Gigibird household – my husband loves them and I am not fussed by them which is good because it means they don’t ‘worry’ me in the same way as a sponge or coffee cake will.
This recipe makes 2, 2 lb loaf cakes.

Preheat oven to 160oc/325of/Gas Mark 3
Equipment: Large mixing bowl (remember you are making double quantity) 2, 2 lb loaf tins, lined (I use the Lakekand cake liners which make lining effortless) electric mixer, spatula, sieve, 2 additional bowls to put your dry ingredients and another for your fruit.

8oz/225g butter
8oz/225g soft brown sugar
1 lb/450g self raising flour
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground mace
2oz/50g ground almonds
3 eggs, lightly beaten
6oz/175g currants
6oz/175g sultanas
6oz/175g raisins
2oz/75g glace cherries, halved
2oz/75g chopped citrus peel
Zest of one lemon
¼ pint of milk/150ml

Cream the butter & sugar until light and fluffy.Sift the flour ans spices into a bowl, adding the ground almonds. Gently beat the flour and eggs alternately into the butter and sugar until wellmixed. Then gently fold in the fruits and lemon zest,adding enough milk to give a dropping consistency.
Spoon the mixture into two greased and lined 2lb/900g loaf tins, smoothing the surface lightly. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until well risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the tin before turning onto a wire rack.
This cake keeps well if stored in an airtight tin.