Dried Fruit and Spiced Cakes

After a day outside, on picnics or during the winter, there are few things more satisfying than a slice of fruit cake. Fruit and nut cakes can vary from dark, rich mixtures packed with fruit, nuts and alcohol, to much lighter, plainer cakes, dotted here and there with fruit or nuts – both are just as delicious in their different ways. Then there are sweet, gooey and often spicy cakes like gingerbread, made by melting butter and other ingredients together before mixing in the eggs and flour. In this style of extra moist cake, golden syrup, treacle or honey are often used instead of sugar, and I also find soft, dark molasses or muscovado sugar successful for flavouring.