Apricot and ginger loaf cake is another variation on the classic fruit loaf. Baked in a square tin it can be easily sliced and eaten as it is, or spread with a little butter if you prefer. Soaking the fruit in tea the night before really brings out the flavours and makes a fruit loaf you will just want more of!

What’s more, ginger also has it’s medical uses. Research has concluded that ginger is an effective treatment for nausea caused by motion sickness or other illness. It also contains many antioxidants. Although effective against all forms of nausea, many health professionals do not recommend taking ginger for morning sickness commonly associated with pregnancy.

Enough of the health benefits – back to the recipe!

Ingredients

3/4 pint..425ml warm brewed tea
6oz…180g sugar
8oz…240g dried mixed fruit
8oz….240g dried apricots
2 tbs marmalade
1 egg, beaten
1lb…480g self raising flour
1 heaped tbs baking powder
2-3 teaspoons ground ginger

A greased and lined (greaseproof or waxed paper) 8in/20cm square cake tin (pan).

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Preheat the oven to 180 deg C, 350 deg F, Gas Mark 4.

Chop the apricots and put them in a bowl with the dried fruit and sugar. Pour over the tea, stir well, and leave to soak for several hours, preferably overnight if you want your apricot and ginger loaf cake to be really moist and full of flavour.

After soaking, add the beaten egg and marmalade to the fruit mixture and mix well. Sieve the flour, baking powder and ginger together and gently fold into the fruit mixture. The mixture should be just wet enough to drop from a wooden spoon when tapped on the side of the bowl. Add a few drops of water if it’s too dry, or sprinkle in a little flour if it’s too moist.

Spoon the mixture from the bowl into the prepared, greased and lined, tin which is placed in the middle of the oven for about 1 1/4 hours. As always, check the loaf just before the end of the cooking time by pushing a skewer, or similar, into the middle of the loaf. It will come out dry and virtually clean when the loaf is cooked.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before turning the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool.

Like many fruit cakes this apricot and ginger loaf cake will get better if it’s kept a while. So try to put it away in an airtight container for at least a day before eating. But if you want some straight away, then nobody can blame you!

Enjoy it with or without some butter or margarine, depending on how you like it.