A slice of cake with your cup of tea or coffee makes a perfect morning or afternoon tea.

Winter brings us an abundance of oranges and apples and we also have recently harvested pecans. This loaf can take advantage of the bounty and freshness of our seasonal fruits.

This loaf brings together spices, dates and fruit macerated in brandy, pecan nuts, orange and apple and only has 50 g of butter. The resulting cake is moist, filling and nutritous with a nice crust.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Self Raising flour
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 50 g butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup of milk
• Juice and zest of one orange
• 1/2 cup of pecans, chopped
• 12 dried dates, chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp mixed spice
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup mix of sultanas and raisins that have been soaked in sherry for a day or more
• 1 medium apple, (I have used a medium Gala apple) peeled, cored and cut into eighths then sliced across the slice finely

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 160º C F
2. Grease and line a loaf pan with baking paper
3. This recipe can be prepared using a food processor, cake mixer or a combination of hand mixer and wooden spoon to mix. Just add the ingredients in the following order
4. In a bowl add the sifted flour, cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg and gently combine with a wooden spoon and set aside
5. In another large bowl (or in the food processor or electic cake mixer if you choose) combine sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract and orange zest
6. Mix using a hand beater (or  food processor or electic cake mixer if using), beat until the sugar and butter are well creamed then add the eggs one at a time until the mixture is creamy.
7. Continue using a wooden spoon to mix, alternately adding  some of the flour, milk and orange juice, stirring well after each addition.
8. When thoroughly combined stir in the nuts and then the sultana and raisins and finally stir through the apple pieces. The mixture will be quite dense.
9. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and tap to spread evely then level the top of the mixture with a spatula
10. Bake for 55 minutes or until skewer can be inserted and removed cleanly
11. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before removing from the baking tin to a cooling rack
12. When cold, slice thickly and serve for afternoon tea