1.25 kilos of Down to earth Christmas cake fruit mix

225g butter

1 1/2 cups muscovado (molasses sugar)

1 teas grated orange rind

1 teas grated lemon rind

few drops of pure almond essence

1 teas natural vanilla

2 tab marmalade

4 free-range eggs

21/2 cups wholewheat Zentrofan flour

1 teas mixed spice

1/2 teas cinnamon

1/2 teas nutmeg

Line a 20cm tin with brown paper and greaseproof paper.

Prepare fruits by washing and draining. Pour over grape juice and leave overnight at least (leave a little longer for a moist cake). Cream butter and molasses .sugar, grated citrus rind and essences. Add marmalade. Drop in eggs one at a time, and beat well between eggs. Fold in prepared fruit alternately with sifted dry ingredients. Mix well.

Bake in slow oven -125° -150°C for approx 4 hours.

For a 500g cake, double all ingredients, using a 25cm square tin, and cook for six hours at the same temperature.

For individual Christmas cakes as gifts, try baking some in jumbo muffin pans, decorate and wrap in cellophane.