Traditional English Christmas Cake Recipe

1. Chop raisins, cherries and mixed peel.
2. Put these in a bowl with currants and sultanas.
3. Pour over the brandy, sherry or rum and leave overnight.
4. Line a 20 cm/8 inch diameter round cake tin or an 18 cm/7 inch square tin with greased, grease-proof paper.
5. Prepare a cool oven, Gas 2, 300°F, 150°C.
6. Beat the eggs.
7. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.
8. Sift flour and mixed spice in a separate bowl.
9. Add soaked fruit and ground almonds.
10. Mix well together.
11. Add spoonfuls of egg then flour mixture to bowl of creamed ingredients.
12. Mix well at each addition until all is thoroughly mixed.
13. Put mixture into prepared tin.
14. To protect the cake from browning on the outside before the middle is cooked, wrap a double thickness of brown paper or newspaper round outside of the tin. It should stand up a good 5 cm/2 inches above the tin. Tie it on with string.
15. Bake the cake for 3 to 4 hours, until it is firm and the fruit stops ‘singing’ or ‘hissing’.
16. Remove cake from the tin and place on a cooling wire.
17. When cold, store in an air-tight tin and let it mature as long as possible (at least 3 months). It will keep for a year.

The whole cake can then be covered with Almond Paste and Royal Icing, if desired, although a plain traditional Christmas cake is sometimes preferred.