Easy Christmas Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 200g/7oz butter
• 200g/7oz dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp black treacle
• 1 tbsp marmalade
• 1/4tsp vanilla essence
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 800g/1 3/4 lb mixed dried fruits
• 100g/3 1/2 oz chopped mixed peel
• 150g/5oz glace cherries, halved
• 100g/3 1/2 oz blanched almonds, chopped
• brandy

Preparation:

• Heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas. Grease a 20cm/8inch round or an 18cm/7inch square cake tin and line the bottom and sides with baking parchment.
• Sieve the flour, salt, mixed spice, and cinnamon into a bowl.
• Cream the butter and the sugar in a large mixing bowl and then mix in the sugar, treacle, marmalade, and vanilla essence until light and fluffy.
• Mix the eggs a little at a time into the mixture adding a tablespoon of the flour mixture with the last amount.
• Fold in the remaining flour mixture until well mixed and then mix in the dried fruit, mixed peel, glace cherries, and the almonds.
• Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and make a slight hollow in the center.
• Bake in the oven for 3 hours and then test with a skewer. If not ready bake for up to another hour testing every 20 minutes until the skewer comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes.
• Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
• Once cool, make a few holes in the cake with a skewer and pour over 3-4 tbsp of brandy. Let the brandy soak into the cake.
• Store the cake wrapped in foil and in an airtight tin or plastic container, holes side up.
• OPTIONAL: For a rich and moist cake, spoon over a few tablespoons of brandy every week until you are ready to ice and decorate your cake.