Pepper Cake - autumnal warmer

Autumn has arrived and there is definitely a nip in the air in the morning and the leaves have also started to turn into the burnished colours of autumn. I love autumn or fall as our American  cousins call it, in celebration of the season my baking changes at this time of year away from light fruity bakes to warming spicy cakes, often featuring dried fruit or spices. Most bakes which include dried fruit and spices improve with keeping for a couple of days and this cake is no exception, the black pepper in the mix adds a warm note to the cake, ideal for your treat after finishing an autumn walk in the mist or rain.

Ingredients 

• 75g sultanas
• 75g currants or raisins
• 100g sugar
• 75g butter
• 225g self raising flour -sieved
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger - sieved
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper (you can scale back to 1/2tsp) - sieved
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves (optional) - sieved
• 60ml milk
• 1 egg free range 

Method

• Grease and base line approximately 7 inch round cake tin
• Pre heat your oven to 170C fan/ 180c normal
• Place the dried fruits, butter and 150ml water in a saucepan and bring to boil
• Simmer for about 5 minutes until the fruit is plumped
• Allow to cool slightly
• Now add all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly
• Scrape into your prepared tin, bake for 45 minutes or so until firm, golden and cooked through.
• Cool on a wire rack
• This cake improves with keeping for a day or so wrapped in foil or grease proof paper.