In which I bake the cake...

So in order to bring you yet another Christmas recipe I have broken with tradition and made my Christmas cake before stir-up Sunday. Here it is!

Ingredients

• 450 g (1 lb) currants
• 175 g (6 oz) sultanas
• 175 g (6 oz) raisins
• 50 g (2 oz) glacé cherries, chopped
• 50 g (2 oz) mixed peel
• an amount of brandy*
• 225 g (8 oz) plain flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg†
• ½ teaspoon mixed spice†
• 225 g (8 oz) unsalted butter
• 225 g (8 oz) soft brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 dessertspoon black treacle
• rind of 1 lemon, grated
• rind of 1 orange, grated
• optional: 50 g (2 oz) almonds, chopped

*the recipe I followed said 3 tablespoons but more brandy is better

†Again I feel more spice is better

Recipe

• Mix all the fruit in a bowl.

• Cream the butter and sugar in an other mixing bowl.

• Beat the eggs.
• Add them slowly to the creamed butter and sugar mixing thoroughly.

• Fold in the flour and spices.

• Mix in the fruit, peel, brandy, treacle (and nuts).

• Put the mixture into the cake tin.

• Tie brown paper (or tinfoil if you don't have any) around the tin and on top of the cake leaving a 2 cm hole in the middle of the top.

• Bake the cake for 4¼-4¾ (don't open the oven for the first 4 hours).

• Cool the cake before putting it in an airtight tin until icing.
• Occasionally feed the cake with extra brandy up until icing.

Icing soon!

Tom Out!

P.S. Thanks to Delia for the base recipe.