Ketchers Mitts and Layovers Cake

A lovely cake to use up store cupboard dried fruits and spices.Make over a couple of days and feed over a week or more for a fantastic celebration cake.This recipe was handed down to me by Mr c's grannie.Homemade spice mix is best but shop bought is a good alternative if you don't keep much stock in.A good one to get children involved with as they can all have a stir.The creaming strengthens little arms.If you don't have children to teach but need help try a husband or I sometimes enlist the help of my friend Ken.Smells great cooking and is a nice moist fruit cake. I use whatever Sugar and fruit I have left in the cupboard from my Christmas cake baking for a quick celebration type cake.

• Ready In: 7 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 16 slices

Ingredients

• 1  lb self raising flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2  teaspoons mixed spice
• 2 1⁄2 lbs  dried fruit
• 1⁄2 lb  sliced almonds
• 3⁄4 lb  glace cherries
• 12  ounces butter
• 12  ounces sugar (dark brown if available)
• 6  eggs
• 1  tablespoon  good cold coffee
• 1  tablespoon milk
• 1⁄4 pint brandy
• 1⁄2 pint  leftover tea

Directions

1. .Buy a new washing up bowl.
2. soak the dried fruit in leftover tea from the teapot for 24hours.
3. soak the cherries in brandy.I keep in an airtight container and enjoy sniffing from time to time.
4. Line a 9 inch tin with two layers of greaseproof paper and grease the paper.
5. Strain the soaking fruit retaining the cherry brandy for feeding the cake when cooked.Mix the fruit with the flour salt and spice.
6. Cream the butter and sugar in your nice new washing up bowl.
7. Beat in eggs one at a time.
8. Stir in fruit and flour.
9. Add nuts.
10. add a little milk if necessary to achieve a dropping consistency.
11. Add coffee.
12. Put mixture in tin and smooth over.
13. Bake for 1.5 hours at gas mark 2.
14. Reduce to gas mark 1/2 for 1.5 hours.
15. finish at gas mark 1/4 allowing 5 to 5.5 hours altogether.
16. Have friends in for coffee while its cooking.
17. Cool in tin.
18. feed with saved cherry brandy until all the brandy has gone.Can be done in a week but is better done over longer.
19. Ice as desired.