Porter Cake for the week that’s in it...

Here’s a Traditional Irish Porter Cake — a really great fruit cake with the addition of stout. I’ve jazzed up the fruit a little from just sultanas, raisins and currants. Out of plain curiosity, I tried both the boiled fruit cake method and creaming method, I have to say the boiled method wins for me — mainly because of the intensity of flavour. The texture of the creamed cake is more crumbly and cake-like and also delicious. The cake keeps well wrapped in cling film and an airtight container and improves with a day or two before cutting.
225gr butter
225gr light brown sugar
300ml Guinness
600gr Mixed Fruit:
Made up of:
150gr Morchino cherries
150gr sultanas
150gr raisins
150gr chopped dried figs
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ tsp salt
450gr plain flour
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp all spice
1 tsp baking powder
2 free range eggs beaten
Line an 8 x 10inch tin.
In a medium pot, melt the butter and sugar, once melted add the Guinness and bring to the boil.
Add the fruit, zest and salt and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes.
Set aside to cool.
Sift the flour, spices, and baking powder together and add to the fruit mix.
Beat in the eggs.
Scrape the batter into the tin, level carefully and bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours until cooked through.
Enjoy, personally I like a slather of butter on top.