Apart from the fact that this cake lasts for ages in a tin, is moist and intensely tasty, it also uses up the pantry full of failed marmalades I have in jars!

Making orange marmalade with honey instead of sugar is intensely difficult (STILL haven’t mastered it!). Lemon Marmalade with Honey is a different story – suffice it to say that I have no jars of that in my pantry! But I still have shelves of unappetising looking black marmalade and it is these which give this cake its wonderful deep and complex flavour . . .

You will need:

250g Butter
200g organic raisins
20 dates (de seeded and cut into chunks)
Half jar of black marmalade or marmalade of your choice!
50g honey
2 x heaped tsp Mixed Spice
210 g spelt flour (or other flour of your choice)
4 large eggs or 6 smaller ones
1 heaped tsp bicarb

Melt the butter and honey together and mix with the eggs and then fold in the flour, raisins, chopped dates and other ingredients. If you have a food processor, just chuck it all in together (I am a lazy cook!) and whizz quickly while greasing your tin. Perfect for morning or afternoon tea and even instead of a traditional Christmas Cake – delish and highly addictive!