Christmas Cake Recipe

Christmas cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. People ate the porridge on Christmas Eve, using it to line their stomachs after a day of fasting. Soon dried fruit, spices and honey were added to the porridge mixture, and eventually it turned into Christmas pudding.

 Ingredients
To make a round 10-inch diameter cake:

• 600 g currants
• 400 g sultanas
• 400 g glacé cherries, quartered
• 200 g raisins
• 100 g chopped candied peel
• 200 ml sherry
• 100 ml brandy
• 50 ml kirsch (or rum)
• 4 medium eggs
• 300 g lightly salted soft margarine
• 300 g dark brown sugar
• 100 g self-raising flour
• 200 g plain flour
• 100 g finely-chopped almonds
• 2 teaspoons of ground mixed spice
• 2 tablespoons of black treacle

Method

The fruit

1. Place all the fruit in a large bowl and pour the spirits over the mixture.
2. Cover the bowl in metal foil and leave in a cool place.
3. Mix and stir the fruit every day for at least three days.

The cake mixture

1. Beat together the sugar and margarine with the eggs.
2. Add the almonds and black treacle and mix further.
3. Sieve the flours and the mixed spice into the mixture, beating until a smooth mixture results.
4. Combine with the pre-prepared fruit (above) and place in a baking tin lined with baking parchment.

Cooking

1. Bake at a low temperature (140C, 275F, Gas mark 1) for at least four hours.
2. Once a knife comes out clean, remove from the oven and allow to cool fully.
3. Stored in an airtight box the cake should keep for at least four months.