Chocolate Chip Fruit Cake

Put dried fruits in the bowl add hot water and lemon juice and let it rest for 1-2 hours.

Grease and dust the loaf tin with a flour. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

In a mixing bowl add soft butter and Shirriff Chocolate Pudding Powder and mix for 30 seconds at low speed. Stir in the eggs, mixing for about ½ minutes on the medium-high speed. Add the, cinnamon, nutmeg, Vanilla Sugar, grated orange peel, chocolate chips and apple sauce. Mix the flour with the baking powder and baking soda and stir in on medium speed. Finally, stir in soaked  fruit mix Pour the batter into the loaf tin and smooth it down.

Place the tin on the rack in the oven and bake it for 70-90 Minutes

Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once your cake has cooled, pop the icing sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl and mix together until you have a smooth, pourable consistency. Pour your icing over the top of your cake. Before the icing sets, decorate with dried fruits or chopped nuts of your choice. Enjoy!