Making this Christmas cake now still leaves time to feed it with brandy over the next few weeks.
I recommend buying pre soaked dried fruit from Lidl or Aldi as this keeps your costs down, but still allowing for a brandy taste. This cake shall be finished closer to Christmas with a step by step guide to it’s decoration.
Christmas Cake
- 900g of mixed fruit consisting of, raisins, currants, sultanas, mixed peel and cherries
-
OR
- 225g of raisins
- 225g of currants
- 225g of sultanas
- 100g of glazed cherries
- 100g of mixed peel
- 350g of plain flour or self raising for a looser cake substance
- 100g of chopped almonds
- 1tsp of mixed spice
- 225g of butter or butter equivilent
- 225g of castor sugar
- 4 eggs
- 150mls of milk or 150mls of milk and brandy combined if using brandy
Method
- Line a deep 9inch tin with baking paper.
- Sift the flour and mix with the almonds and mixed spice.
- Beat the eggs with the milk or milk/brandy mix
- In a large bowl cream the sugar and the butter together.
- Add the flour and the eggs alternatively, slowly to the mix.
- Combine well together.
- Add the fruit and mix in, I often get the family to take turns to help.
- Pour into your lined cake tin.
- Bake in a pre heated oven 150°C, 300°F, gas mark 2 for 3 ½ – 4hrs
- Check the cake is ready after 3½ hours by skewering, if skewer comes out clean your cake is ready, if cake mix sticks to your skewer, give your cake another half hour.
- Once ready, remove from the tin and allow to cool.
- Once completely cool, double wrap in baking paper with a layer of tin foil over the top.
- Keep in an air tight container. If you are feeding your cake brandy, do this every couple of weeks up until Christmas, by piercing your cake and pour in a tablespoon or two of brandy over the top. This matures your cake enabling it to last longer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1czc-Gj9-Bk
