- 225g/8oz mixed dried fruit, including apricots, sultanas, raisins, currants, and cherries
- 90g/3½oz clarified beef dripping
- 150g/5oz soft brown sugar
- 225ml/8fl oz water
- butter, for greasing
- 225g/8oz wholemeal flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 4 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
- 550g/1lb 4oz Seville oranges
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1.3 litres/2pt 4fl oz water
- 1.1kg/2lb 6oz granulated sugar
- For the cake, place the mixed fruit, dripping, sugar and water into a pan over a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and leave to cool and soak overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/365F/Gas 4.
- Grease and line a small loaf tin.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice into a large bowl.
- Add the cooled fruit mixture and mix well.
- Add the eggs one by one and beat the mixture together to combine well between adding each one.
- Pour the cake mixture into the cake tin and level the top with a palette knife. Place into the oven to bake for 1-1¼ hours, or until the top is golden brown and a metal skewer comes out clean. (You may need to cover the top with aluminium foil if it starts to brown too much.)
- Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 30 minutes before turning out and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the Seville orange marmalade, halve the oranges and scoop the flesh into a food processor, leaving the pith behind. Blend the orange flesh to a smooth purée and pass through a fine sieve into a non-reactive pan.
- Remove any remaining pith from the remaining peel, then slice the peel into thin strips and set aside.
- Add the lemon juice, water and sliced peel to the pan of orange juice and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1-1½ hours, until the peel is tender and the liquid volume has reduced by half.
- Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved completely. Bring the mixture back to the boil and cook for a further 10 minutes, removing any froth that may form on the surface with a spoon.
- Test whether the marmalade is ready by spooning a little onto a chilled plate and push it with your finger – it should be like jelly. If it is still runny, cook for a further 5-10 minutes, or until jelly-like on the cold plate.
- Leave to cool slightly before pouring into sterilised jars. (The marmalade should keep for up to two months in the fridge if left unopened.)
- To serve, slice the cake and spread generously with the marmalade.