Somerset Apple Cake

This is a really good recipe. It will make a large oven pan full of cake, which can be eaten fresh on its own, served with yoghurt or custard or frozen for the future and whisked out when required. It was given to me by an old lady who lived next door as I was growing up who acted as an honoury grandmother, always known as 'Newm' as 'Mrs Newman' was a bit hard to say when I was little! You need to plan ahead as its better if the sultanas are soaked overnight.

1 1/4 lbs flour (if using plain flour add 3tsp baking powder)
8oz sugar (soft brown in recipe but any will do or you can use honey instead)
12oz margerine/ butter
4 eggs
1/2 pint cider or apple juice (Try Ryefields!)
3tsp mixed spice
1 lb apples, chopped (but I prefer not too small so that you have some apple pieces rather than all mixed up)
1lb sultanas

Soak sultanas in juice or cider overnight if possible. Sieve dry ingredients. Cream marg or butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs slowly using a little flour mixture to prevent curdling. Beat well. Add fruit and flour mixes alternately and mix thoroughly. Grease a large roasting tin or two square tins approximately 5 pint total capacity. Fill tins and level tops bake 1 1/2 -2 hours at 350 (do check earlier than this particularly if you have a fan oven). till firm and shrinking away from the sides. Cool. Cut into portions. If you freeze, thaw for 1 hour for cake, heat from frozen for pudding. It works fine in the microwave. Makes about 32 portions.