A dark, moist fruit cake enriched with Irish stout, warming spices, and a generous measure of dried fruits soaked until plump and boozy.
Ingredients
350g mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed peel)
250ml Guinness or Irish stout
225g plain flour
175g dark brown sugar
115g butter
2 eggs
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
50g walnuts, chopped (optional)
Instructions
1Soak dried fruit in Guinness overnight or simmer together for 10 min and cool.
2Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Line a deep 8-inch cake tin with baking parchment.
3Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.
4Fold in flour, mixed spice, baking soda, and citrus zests.
5Stir in the soaked fruit with all the stout liquid, and walnuts if using.
6Pour into tin and bake 1.5-2 hours until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in tin completely.
Did You Know?
Porter cake improves with age — many Irish bakers wrap it in parchment and foil and store it for weeks, occasionally feeding it with a spoonful of whiskey.