Our best fruit cakes continue this week with Robert Ebanks in the kitchen. Ebanks, readers might recall, not only makes a delicious fruit cake but his Easter buns are pretty perfect too. So here goes:

Ingredients

1lb (2.2kg) butter

1lb (2.2kg) dark sugar

8 eggs

3 cups flour or 21/2 cups & 1/2 cup breadcrumbs)

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon powder

1 whole grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons mixed spice

browning (use depending on how dark you wish it)

1/2 bottle beer or stout

3 teaspoons jam (darker ones preferably)

Fruits – raisins, prunes, currants, etc. (2.2kg) of each.

Method

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. (If you prefer your cake light, then cream until really smooth, if not then until most of the sugar grains have been creamed). Add eggs one by one and mix. Add spices into the flour along with the baking powder. Add flour into the mixture, then add wet ingredients, that is, fruits, beer, browning, jam (if you like your rum, then add it like there is no tomorrow).

Bake at 350º F or 177º C for approximately three hours.

To get a pudding- like consistency, place a pan of water at the bottom of the oven.