Pumpkin Fruit Cake

Ingredients:
• 125g butter or 5oz butter
• ½ cup firmly-packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp golden syrup (warmed slightly)
• 2 tbsp honey (warmed slightly)
• 1 tbsp rum, cognac, vodka or whisky
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 cup warm, mashed pumpkin
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 400g mixed dried fruit or sultanas (as preferred) or 15oz dried fruit
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Directions: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C (350F).
Grease a 20cm (8 inch) round cake tin and line the base and sides with one thickness of greased, greaseproof paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the syrup, alcohol, vanilla and pumpkin until well combined.
3. Fold in the sifted flour. Stir in the dried fruit. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin.
4. Place on the centre rack of the oven and bake for one hour, turning the tin around and baking for a further 30 minutes, or until cooked when tested.
5. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then turn out the cake onto a rack and allow to cool completely.
6. When fully cooled, enclose the cake in an airtight plastic bag. Store in a cool, dry place for at least two days to mature. When cut, the cake pieces will hold their form (if not matured the cake pieces will crumble when cut). The cake will keep for at least a week.