Does everyone have somewhere between ¼ cup and 2 cups of random dried or candied fruit hanging around from holiday baking?

 I do.

Here’s a great recipe borrowed, and “creatively adapted”, from the wonderful book, The Cheese Room by Patricia Michelson of La Fromagerie. I used my leftover dried cranberries, raisins, crystalized ginger, candied peel in the Porter cake.

250 grams of unsalted butter, at room temperature

440 grams of self-raising flour, sifted

440 grams, light brown sugar

440 grams raisins

250 grams dried cranberries

125 grams crystalized ginger, chopped

Zest of one lemon

Pinch of mixed spice

250 mls Guinness

4 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

Pre heat oven to 275 degrees.

Grease and line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Cut the butter into small pieces and add to sifted flour, rub together until it resembles cornmeal. Add the rest of the dry ingredients, mix with a spoon.

Warm the Guinness slightly, add baking soda, then the eggs; beat to mix.

Add the egg and Guinness mixture to the dry ingredients.

Pour into the prepared pan. Top the cake with a parchment circle, and bake for 3 hours. Remove the paper top 30 minutes before finishing. Check to see that the cake is cooked by testing with a skewer; if it comes clean, great.. if not cook a little longer.

Allow to cool completely. Store in a cake tin.