Traditional British Christmas Cake

A recipe that came from an area just north of London

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Ingredients

225 g	raisins
300 g	currants
225 g	sultanas
100 g	blanched almonds, halved
100 g	mixed candied peel
100 g	glacé cherries, halved and lightly dusted with flour
1 large	lemon, juice and zest
350 g	unsalted butter, softened
350 g	dark brown sugar
6 large	eggs
300 g	plain flour
¹/₂ tsp	ground cinnamon
¹/₂ tsp	ground nutmeg
1 tsp	mixed spice, you may want to increase this
1 tbsp	treacle or dark molasses
3 tbsp	brandy, rum or sweet sherry, or more if required
	brandy, rum or sweet sherry to add to the cake once a week for 2 weeks, after baking
	icing as desired

Method

Preparation time: ca. 30 min Resting time: ca. 12 days 12 hrs / Grade of difficulty: medium / Calories per portion: n/a

This is a heavy, rich Christmas cake that needs to be made about 3 weeks or more in advance (up to 8-9 weeks). Once cool, and between 'feeding sessions' when more alcohol is fed into the cake, it should be tightly wrapped in greaseproof paper and foil. A few days before use, should you wish, it should be glazed with apricot or similar glaze, marzipan applied and then iced with royal or other hard icing. Alternatively, a lighter icing such as an American vanilla frosting can be used.

Grease and fully line a 9-10 inch, 22-25cm cake tin. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3, 160ºC, 325ºF.

Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Set aside briefly.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together all the dry ingredients. Add the creamed mixture and beat thoroughly. Add treacle and mix well. Add the lemon juice and alcohol. If the mixture appears dry, add a little more alcohol or, if you would prefer not to do so, you can add orange juice or milk as an alternative until the mixture is sufficiently moist and of a dropping consistency (just).

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and try to eliminate any large air bubbles. Level the surface with a spatula.

Fold a length of brown kraft or wrapping paper about four times the height of the tin and 2-3 inches, 5-7cm longer than the circumference of the tin in half lengthwise such that is about 3-inches or 7.5cm higher than the tin and secure it around the outside of the tin with string.

Bake for 2 hours on a shelf just below the middle of the oven. Then reduce the temperature to Gas Mark 2, 150ºC, 300ºF and bake for a further 1½-2 hours or until it tests done when checked with a skewer.

Allow to cool in the tin on a wire rack.

When completely cool, remove from tin and remove lining paper. Turn the cake upside down and rest it on a clean, folded tea towel. Prick the bottom of the cake thoroughly with a tooth pick or skewer. Slowly pour a glass of your chosen alcohol onto the cake and leave it until completely absorbed. Wrap the cake as described above. Unwrap it and feed again after about another week. Repeat once more after a further week, if possible, and re-wrap until intending to ice.