Fruit Cake – Sweet Potato – Aunt Em’s so Delicious!

 

One recipe that you will never get wrong!

This was handed down from my Grannie’s Sister – Aunt Em. ~

Serves 20

 

2 cups cooked, well drained and mashed sweet potato (the orange one - do not add butter, cream etc)

2 cups brown sugar

4 cups wholemeal self raising flour (triple sifted)

6 eggs well beaten

250g butter

2 tablespoons golden syrup

500g of dried mixed fruit (soaked overnight with 2 cup of black/green tea)

125g of Glace Cherries (extra to what is in dried fruit mix)

1 tablespoon milk (Only use if mixture appears too dry)

1 teaspoon bi-card soda (mixed and sifted with flour)

1 teaspoon ground ginger (mixed and sifted with flour)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (mixed and sifted with flour)

 

Preheat oven to 175C (Moderate oven)

Drain well the mixed fruit.  There shouldn’t be too much to drain off as it would have been soaked up by the fruit making it plump and juicy.

Line a 12 inch or 30cm cake tin with greaseproof paper making sure you have paper about 3 to 4 finger’s width above top of pan.

With a hand held electric mixer beat sweet potato, butter and sugar at high speed until a creamy consistency (about 3-4 minutes)

Add eggs and ½ flour mix and beat on SLOW speed until combined, put mixer down, get a wooden spoon - then add dried fruit mixture and rest of flour and slowly mix until well combined.

Pour into middle of cake tin, and then spread mixture evenly around tin.  Bake in oven until cooked.  A thin skewer inserted into middle of cake will tell you when cooked.  It should come out clean. (About 3+ hours)

Once cooked remove oven.  Allow to cook for 30 minutes, then decant onto wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting.

 

Note: 

You can use Spelt Flour for this – I have tried cake with this and it produces great results also.

Slices freeze well for use at a later date.  Just make sure the cake is 100% cool, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

This is a delicious cake for morning or afternoon tea and very good for you, with lots of fibre and little fat. 

Serve with a cup of your favourite loose leaf tea or that special blend of coffee. 

I guarantee your friends and family will say “One more slice please!”