Vinegar in a cake? Well yes, it helps to make this egg-free fruit cake rise in a rather spectacular fashion. It has a nice soft crumb and is pleasantly fruity as well as malty with an unexpected sort of sprightliness about it.
250gplain flour (all purpose flour)(I used 1 tbsp mesquite powder and 1 tbsp maca powder, placed them on the scales then added plain flour to make the weight up to 250g)
250gwholemeal flour
1pinchfine sea or rock salt
200gunsalted buttercut into small pieces
500gdried fruit(I used a mix of sultanas, raisins, chopped dried apples, goji berries and homemade crystallised orange peel)
50gdark chocolatechopped (I used Maya Gold, Green & Blacks orange spiced)
Sift the flours (along with mesquite and / or maca if using) into a bowl along with the salt.
Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the dried fruit and chocolate.
Pour the milk into a large jug or bowl and add the vinegar.
In a cup, stir the bicarbonate of soda into 1 tbsp of milk until dissolved.
Add this to the milk mixture and watch in amazement as it froths up and up and up.
Pour onto the dry ingredients together with 2 tbsp golden syrup and mix until just incorporated.
Spoon into a 23cm round silicone cake mould or lined tin and smooth the top.
Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top and bake at 170℃ (338℉, Gas 3) for 50 minutes, or until the cake is risen and an inserted toothpick comes out more or less clean.
Leave to cool for 20 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely - if you can wait that long.
Notes
Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They're approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.