British Christmas Cake

Total Time: 7 hrs Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• 400 g plain flour
• 5 ml ground mixed spice
• 5 ml cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon, rind of, grated
• 350 g butter
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 100 g currants
• 225 g sultanas
• 225 g seedless raisins
• 175 g glace cherries, washed and quartered
• 100 g almonds, sliced
• 100 g mixed peel, chopped
• 6 tablespoons
• 30 ml black treacle
• 125 g walnuts
• 150 g soft brown sugar
• 150 g muscovado sugar
• 50 g almonds, ground
• to taste almond paste, to finish
• to taste royal icing, to finish

Recipe

• 1 grease a 8 inch square cake tin; line it with greased greaseproof paper. tie double brown paper round the outside.
• 2 sift the flour and spices together into a large mixing bowl and stir in the grated lemon rind.
• 3 cream the butter in a separate bowl and gradually beat in the sugar until light and fluffy.
• 4 add the treacle and fold into mixture.
• 5 add the eggs beating the mixture after each egg.
• 6 if the mixture curdles add a little flour.
• 7 lightly fold in the sifted flour with the fruit, nuts and mixed peel until evenly distributed.
• 8 add and mix in the ( 3 tablespoons )
• 9 spoon the mixture into the cake tin and level the surface. knock tin to get rid of air .
• 10 make an indentation in the centre to allow for the cake rising in the centre. cover and leave in a cool place for 24 hours.
• 11 place an ovenware container of water on the bottom of the oven. then place cake tin on a double piece of brown paper on middle shelf of oven and bake at 150 deg. c or 300 deg. f for 4 hours.
• 12 test to see if cooked by inserting a skewer in the cake which should come out clean.
• 13 cool cake in the tin for an hour then turn out a wire rack and remove the paper.
• 14 when cold, prick the cake top with the skewer and spoon the remaining over the cake surface. wrap in fresh greaseproof paper then foil.
• 15 place inverted into an airtight tin for at least one month before covering the cake with almond paste. finish off with royal icing and decorate to your preference.