The Queen Mother’s Favourite Fruit Cake

For the cake:

• 225g dried dates chopped
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 50g dried walnuts, roughly chopped
• 275g plain flour
• 225g caster sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 75g butter

For the icing:

• 5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cream
• 2 tablespoons butter

Grease and line a 23cm x 30cm tin.  Heat oven to 180ºF.

To make the cake:

Put the chopped dates in a bowl and pour over a breakfast cup of boiling water. Add the bicarbonate of soda and stir in. Set aside. Cream the butter with the sugar in another bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Sieve together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter, sugar and egg mix, then the dates and incorporate well. Scrape the batter into the baking pan and spread it right to the edges. Bake the cake in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. To make the topping: In a small heavy saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar and cream over a low heat. Bring the mixture to the boil and boil gently for 3 minutes, stirring all the time. Pour over warm cake. When cool, store in an airtight tin.

Credit/Source:  Julia Watson, The Bugle