This light but colourful cake can be made and cut within a few days. Because it is not rich it has a shorter shelf life. I used about 450g of dried fruit in total.
1/2 cup each: dried mango slices, dried pineapple pieces, crystallised strawberries, dried pawpaw, glacé red cherries, glaé green cherries, limoncello
200g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Topping: 1/2 cup each: pistachio nuts, blanched almonds, hazelnuts (skins removed)
1 tablespoon each: powdered gelatine, sugar
2 tablespoons water
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Lightly grease and line a 20cm round cake pan with baking paper.
Slice the mango into strips. Combine with the remaining fruits and limoncello in a bowl.
Beat the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl with an electric beater, until smooth and light. Slowly beat in the eggs until well mixed. Add the fruit mix and sifted flour and baking powder. Mix until combined.
Spoon into the prepared pan. Top with the nuts, pressing in lightly.
Bake for 1 1/2-2 hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. If necessary, place a sheet of foil over the top to prevent the nuts from burning.
Turn the cooked cake upside down onto a board. Leave to cool.
To glaze, turn the cake nut-side up. Combine the gelatine, sugar and water and microwave a few seconds until dissolved. Brush over the nuts. Leave to set. Wrap loosely in foil and store in an airtight container in a cool place.