Christmas Cake Recipe:

You Need:

225g butter plus extra for greasing - softened
4 large eggs
900g mix of sultanas, raisins and currants
100g glacé cherries
100g mixed peel
200ml brandy, sherry or marsala plus extra for "feeding" the cake
200g soft dark brown sugar
300g plain flour
80g whole blanched almonds
Marzipan and fondant icing to cover the cake

Method:

Soak the dried fruit, glace cherries and mixed peel in 125ml brandy overnight
The next day preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3
Grease and line a cake tin (approx. 22cm diameter) with baking parchment
Beat the butter with the sugar until paler in colour and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until well combined
Fold in the flour, almonds, a pinch of salt and CHRISTMAS CAKE BLEND then stir in the soaked fruit until evenly distributed
Scoop the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour. Turn the heat down to 150°C/gas mark 2 and bake for a further 30 minutes or until the top is firm and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean (cover the top with foil if it’s turning too dark before the centre is cooked)
Leave to cool then remove from the tin, turn upside down and spoon over the remaining 75ml brandy
‘Feed’ the cake by spooning over a couple of tbsps of alcohol once a week right up until Christmas (keep it covered with baking parchment and tinfoil so it doesn’t dry out)
Allow the cake a few days without any additional brandy before turning right side up and decorating with marzipan and icing

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 1 hour 40 mins