Your First Christmas Cake

Your First Christmas Cake

FIRST DAY

Put in glass or china bowl the following fruit.

270 grams Sultanas
270 grams currants
270 grams seeded raisins (chopped roughly with a knife into size of sultanas)
270 grams Australian Dried apricots (chopped roughly with a knife into size of sultanas)
60 grams of pitted prunes (chopped roughly with a knife into size of sultanas)
60 grams of mixed peel
40 grams of slivered almonds

Add 150ml of brandy and soak the fruit and brandy overnight


SECOND DAY

1. Preheat oven to 150
2. Sift together:
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

3. Cream together with mixer until light and fluffy
250 grams brown sugar
270 grams of butter

4. Add
5 large beaten eggs and flour mixture alternately, then add soaked fruit
– mix well with large wooden spoon
5. Add
I tablespoon of Golden Syrup
1 Tablespoon of Marmalade
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

6. Mix really well with large wooden spoon

7. Turn mixture into prepared tin and scoop centre into a slight hollow to allow for rising.

8. Place whole blanched almonds in a circular pattern around the edges of the cake

9. Bake for 3 hours. Insert a fine skewer and if it does not come out clean cook for further 15 minutes at 110°

10. When cooked remove from oven and drizzle another 150ml of brand all over the cooked cake.

11. Let cool, then wrap cake in a layer of bake paper and then wrap in aluminium foil and store in airtight container until Christmas Day