Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and place a rack in center of oven. Butter loaf pan or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt & sift together twice

In a seperate bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter until creamy and smooth, add the sugar gradually, beating continuously on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (this takes about 5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

The batter should now be light in colour and fluffy in texture. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

The batter will look curdled but don't panic as the batter will come together again after you add the flour mixture.

Add the vanilla, candied fruits & the flour mixture and mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes.