Traditional Fruit Cake Recipe !

This is a traditional fruit cake recipe !
When I did a cake decorating course many years ago the teacher Dot Baxter gave us all her tried and tested fruit cake recipe that is suitable for wedding and Christmas cakes to be iced or just left plain . I mostly make mini fruit cakes these days as they cook a lot quicker, no cutting involved and they come in the perfect amount per serving .Kev loves them for morning tea or any time really . This recipe can be made using gluten free flour and using no sugar or butter (I used nuttelex margarine)as that's how I used to make it for myself  years ago and it was just as delicious. If I was to make it dairy free today I would use extra virgin coconut oil and a milk substitute like maybe almond milk.

Here is the original recipe!
1/2 pound butter.
1/2 pound dark brown sugar.
3 eggs.
3/4 pound plain flour.
2 pounds mixed fruit.
1/2 cup sherry or brandy (optional)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon bi carb.
1/2 teaspoon of each vanilla,almond &lemon essence.
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon,ginger,nutmeg &cloves.
blanched almonds (optional for decoration).
Method: Put fruit,essences,spices bicarb and sugar in bowl and mix well. Melt butter and milk and pour over fruit mixture and mix well. Add eggs one at a time and mix well.Add flour gradually then add alcohol put into a 8 inch lined cake tin bake in a pre-heated oven for 1/4 of an hour at 180 degrees C or 350 degrees F then turn down oven to 120-140 degrees C or 250 degrees F for 3 &1/2 hours . Place blanched almonds in a pattern on top before placing into oven.
Making the mini fruit cakes this mixture makes 24 muffin size cakes and I bake them in the oven  at 160 degrees C  for 15 minutes then turn down oven to 120 degrees for 20-25 minutes until a skewer or cake tester comes out clean .
If making these cakes in mini cake tins from 450 gram salmon or tuna tins,then this amount of mixture makes 6 small cakes and bake them at 180 degrees for 15 minutes then turn down to 120 degrees and cook for 40-45  minutes. All ovens are different so check with cake tester before removing from oven .