Tropical Fruit Cake

8 oz / 225g self raising flour
2 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp baking powder
4oz / 125g soft margarine or softened butter
4oz / 125g soft light brown sugar
8oz / 225g combination of dried tropical fruits – papaya, pineapple, raisins, crystallised ginger – diced quite small
2 eggs beaten
3 tbs milk
sugar crystals or demerara sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Grease and base line an 8” spring form cake tin. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and put mixture into tin, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with the sugar, if using. Bake in the centre of the oven at Gas 3 / 170C / 325F for 50 minutes – 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.