Easy Christmas Cake Recipe – Grandad Ted’s and Grannie Min’s - # 1

Makes 2 very large cakes or 1 HUGE cake which looks stunning when decorated!

1lb (455 grams) Butter – Room Temperature

1lb (455 grams) Currants

1lb (455 grams) Sultanas

½ lb (226 grams) Mixed Peel

½ lb (226 grams) Raisins

½ lb (226 grams) Glace Cherries (cut into ¼’s)

½ lb (226 grams) Almond – chopped

1lb (455 grams) Castor Sugar

11/2 lb (681 grams) Wholemeal Self Raising Flour (triple sifted)

1 Teaspoons Mixed Spice (sifted with flour)

1 Teaspoon Ginger (Sifted with flour

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon (Sifted with flour)

1 Teaspoon Almond Essence

1 Teaspoon Lemon Essence

1 Teaspoon PURE Vanilla Essence

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder (sifted with flour)

1 Teaspoon Salt (sifted with flour)

2 Teaspoons Cream Of Tartar

12 medium size eggs – organic or free range (Just like in the old days!)

Preheat:  Oven to Moderate (175 C/350F)

Grease and Double line  2 x deep (3 to 4 inch) by 9 inch wide (22cm) cake pans or 1 x 12inch (30cm wide) by 4 inch deep pan, with the greaseproof paper coming up over the pan by 4 finger widths.

Combine together well in a clean large bowl the Currants, Sultanas, Mixed Peel, Raisins, Glace Cherries and Almonds.

Using a hand held mixer in a very large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar well until a soft and very creamy consistency. Scrape the sides of the bowl down often.

Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat well on a slow speed.

Add the dried fruit mixture, essences, mixing thoroughly.

Beat thoroughly until the mixture appears to curdle.

Put your mixer on slow speed or by hand add the flour mixture a little at a time making sure it is mixed in well.

If Mixture appears too stiff as small amounts of milk a little at a time until correct consistency, then beat until smooth (about 10 minutes)

Decant into middle of cake tin/tins and spread gently to sides and place in the middle of oven.

This cake/cakes take around 3 – 4 hours to cook - to test, insert a metal skewer into middle of cake, it should come out clean when done.

Take out of oven and leave in cake tin/tins for around 15 minutes.  Then decant onto wire rack/s and gently remove greaseproof paper and allow to completely cool before wrapping cake in foil or cloth and placing in cake tin.

This is best cooked 4 weeks before Christmas.  If you wish to decorate cake with Marzipan and Royal Icing etc, this is best done 2 weeks before Christmas.

Note:  You can use Spelt Wholemeal Flour

           You can also get a sewing needle and before you place cake in tin, make needle pricks all over the top of the cake and dribble over 1 or 2 caps full of brandy, rum, whisky etc (what-ever your favourite) then repeat process 1 week after – (Remember - If you do this, you cannot serve this cake to children or those who do not drink)