Banana Fruit Cake

Baking fruitcake for Christmas or Easter is a tradition in many countries and still enjoyed by many people. This cake has additional flavour in the bananas and pineapple.

Ingredients

2½ cups plain flour (400g)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

1 tbls mixed spice
3 cups mixed fruit (480g)

1 cup tinned chopped pineapple (180g)

2 cups chopped dates (240g)

1 cup chopped pecan (140g)

¾ cup butter (180g)
2 cups brown sugar (320g)
4 eggs (200g)

1 orange zest and juice

4 mashed bananas (480g)

Method

Preheat oven to 150ºC normal bake. Place flour, baking powder, soda, salt and mixed spice in a large bowl and mix evenly. Add mixed fruit, pineapple, dates and pecan and blend evenly. Place butter and sugar in another bowl and mix until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix evenly. Add mashed bananas, orange juice and zest and mix evenly. Pour this mixture into the fruit and flour mixture and mix evenly. Pour batter into a 28 x 33 cm baking paper lined baking tin. Bake in the oven for approx. 90 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the tin. Place a piece of paper on the cake with a tray on top and turn upside down. Remove the tin and allow total cooling before wrapping the cake in cling wrap and store in the fridge, freezer or cupboard.

Note: The mixture of dried fruit of your choice could be currants, sultanas, raisins and glazed cherries.