Ingredients:

• 300 gms. self raising flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 dessert spoon mixed spice
• 1 dessert spoon ground Nutmeg
• 1 dessert spoon ground Cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground Cloves
• 100 gms. ground Almonds
• 500 gms. Currants
• 500 gms. Raisins
• 500 gms. sultanas
• 250 gms. glace Cherries
• 100 gms. blanched almonds, chopped
• 200 gms. dried peel
• Rind and juice of 1 Lemon – grate rind finely
• 300 gms. unsalted Butter
• 250 gms. dark soft Brown sugar
• 8-9 large eggs
• 3 tbsp Brandy

Method:

1. Grease a loose bottomed cake tin and line with paper
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together and stir well to make sure there are no lumps. Mix together all the dried fruit and peel, and the chopped almonds
3. Cream together the butter, brown sugar and lemon rind in a large mixing bowl until fluffy
4. Beat in 8 of the eggs one at a time. Gradually add the flour mixture
5. Mix in the fruit and stir well. Transfer to a larger bowl if needed
6. Stir in the brandy and lemon juice
7. The mixture should be soft but not runny
8. If necessary, add the extra egg with a little milk until the mixture stirs easily
9. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin, leveling the top
10. Bake in a preheated oven 150 degrees C for 45 minutes. Tie a double layer of brown paper round the outside of the cake tin. Also place a circle of brown paper over the cake to prevent the top burning
11. The cake is cooked when a fine skewer in the cake comes out clean and when the cake shrinks away slightly from the side of the tin. Decorate with marzipan and icing. It’s really simple nowadays with the ready roll marzipan and icing available in the supermarkets. Make the cake a few weeks before Christmas and store in an air tight container
12. Pierce with a needle and soak with brandy several times before icing
13. Note: Christmas cake is one of the few things that improve with freezing. If you are late making your cake, pop it in the freezer for a couple of weeks before icing