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350g self-raising flour (or 350g flour + 1
tsp baking powder)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
125g ground almonds
450g currants
450g sultanas
450g raisins
225g chopped mixed peel
225g glace cherries
125g almonds, without skins, chopped
the juice and grated peel of a lemon
350g unsalted butter
275g brown sugar
8 large eggs
8 tbsp brandy
a little milk, if necessary |
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Method :
Set the oven
to 150C, Mark 2. Rub a little butter around the inside of a large cake
tin, 25cm across. Put a piece of buttered paper on the bottom of
the cake tin. Then put another piece of buttered paper round the sides
of the cake tin. Put brown paper round the outside of the cake tin and
tie it with string (this stops the cake burning). Put the flour, salt,
ground mixed spice, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground cinnamon and
ground almonds in a large bowl. Add the currants, sultanas, raisins,
chopped mixed peel, glace cherries and chopped almonds. Mix well. In
another large bowl, beat the sugar, butter and grate lemon peel with a
wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth like cream. In a small bowl
beat the eggs, one at a time. Add each beaten egg to the butter and
sugar. Stir well before you add the next egg. Add the butter, sugar and
egg mixture to the flour and fruit mixture. Add the lemon juice and
brandy. The mixture must be soft. If it is not, add a little milk. Put
the mixture into the cake tin. With a palette knife, make the top flat.
Bake the cake
at 150C, Mark 2 for 90 minutes. Then turn the heat to 130C, Mark 1/2 and
bake for 3-3.5 hours more. The cake is ready when it starts to come away
from the sides of the tin. Test it with the skewer. If it comes out
clean, the cake is ready. If not, put the cake back in the oven for 15
minutes. If the cake browns too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil for
the last 2 hours. When the cake is ready, take it out of the oven. Leave
it in the cake tin for 15 minutes. Then take it out of the cake tin and
put it on a wire rack. Let it get cold. When it is completely cold,
cover it with aluminum foil. Make sure no air can get in. Then put in an
airtight tin. Ten days before Christmas, cover the cake with almond
paste.
about 24
slices
You must make
your Christmas cake at least a month before Christmas. It will taste
better if you do. First you make the cake itself. Then you cover it with
your almond paste. Lastly, you ice it with Royal Icing. This recipe also
makes a good birthday cake.
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