Fruit Cake I

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and grease a baking pan with butter.

Cream together 375 g butter and 375 g confectioner's sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the 5 eggs one at a time to the butter-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition to ensure complete incorporation.

Stir in the vanilla extract into the creamed mixture.

Sift the 2 cups pastry flour and gently fold it into the wet ingredients using a spatula until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Prepare the seasonal fruits by washing, peeling if necessary, and cutting them into bite-sized pieces.

Fold the prepared fruit pieces into the batter gently to distribute them evenly throughout.

Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, dust the top of the fruit cake generously with confectioner's sugar before serving.