I went for a lovely walk in the local forest with my friend Val the other day and, once we got back to her house, she served up a slice of this sultana and pineapple-laden cake that’s just perfect with a cup of tea. It’s one of those brown cakes that doesn’t photograph terribly well but my goodness it’s delicious! She kindly gave me her recipe, handwritten on a battered old piece of paper (like all the best family favourites) so that I could make a version for the Pigeon Cottage website. Try it, you’ll make it again and again.

• 100g unsalted butter
• 100g dark brown sugar
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 450g mixed dried fruit (I used sultanas and raisins)
• 435g can of pineapple rings, drained and finely chopped
• 3 eggs, whisked
• 100g plain flour
• 100g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp mixed spice plus 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Optional: zest of an orange

To make…

• Grease and line a 20cm x 8cm (8 x 3 inch) cake tin.
• Preheat the oven to 170C.
• Put the butter, sugar and pineapple in a large pan and simmer gently until the butter and sugar melt. Allow to cool.
• Gradually mix in the egg mixture and then add the flour, mixed spice and orange zest. Stir in the fruit and the bicarb. Mix thoroughly and turn into the cake tin.
• Bake on the lowest shelf for an hour and fifteen minutes or until a skewer or a strand of spaghetti comes out cleanly if you dip it carefully into the centre of the cake. Cover with a little foil or baking parchment if it looks like the edges are burning.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Store in an airtight container. It will keep for several days and actually tastes better for it.

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