Chocolate and fruit cake

In one week, my man is going to do a pretty amazing thing: he's going to do an Iron-man (3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42km run everything in a row). Crazy but I am so proud of him!

So because every champion needs a little bit of comfort and energy, I've baked him (not just him) a chocolate and fruit tea cake. It is a simple recipe full of nutritious and delicious ingredients that always works on a rainy day like today.

Got a couple of hours and a lovely cup of tea?

Serves 6 or 4 hungry people:

135g of butter, softened

70g of muscovado sugar (dark muscovado gives the cake a slight liquorice taste)

3 eggs, beaten

180g of dark chocolate, broken into pieces

75g of raisins/ sultanas or currants

30g of walnuts

the rind of one orange

170g of self-raising flour

1 good tablespoon of clear honey

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until you get a lovely light texture.

Add to this preparation one egg at a time. Mix well.

If you've managed to get your hands out of the chocolate (I always try the chocolate prior to making a cake. You never know, it may not taste good and it is good for my daily magnesium intake!!) it is about time to use it. Add it to the preparation along with the raisins, honey, walnuts and the sieved flour.

Mix well but delicately until your preparation becomes smooth and tasty (go on have a little try).

Pour it into a loaf tin and bake it in a preheated oven (about 170ºC/ Gas Mark 3/ 325ºF) for about one hour.

Leave it to cool for a little while before removing it from the tin.

Bon app'!

Adapted from What's Cooking chocolate by Jacqueline Bellefontaine