Christmas Cake Recipe – Aunt Em's – Never Fail!

This is a delicious Rich Fruit Cake Recipe that would be ideal as a Traditional Wedding Cake - Very versatile. 

Makes - 2 x large cakes or 1 extra large

1lb (455 grams) Butter – Room Temperature

1lb (455 grams) Currants

1lb (455 grams) Sultanas

1lb (455 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

2 oz (56 grams) Rice Flour (sifted with the flour)

1lb (455 grams) Wholemeal Self Raising Flour (triple sifted)

Zest of 1 x Lemon, 1 x Orange, 1 x Mandarin, 1 x Lime

2 teaspoons Mixed Spice (sifted with the flour)

1 Teaspoon Almond Essence

1 Teaspoon PURE Vanilla Essence

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder (sifted with flour)

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

Preheat:  Oven to Slow/Warm (150 C/300 F)

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, Almonds and zest.

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 and zest mixture, vanilla and almond essences, mixing thoroughly.

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.

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

This cake/cakes take around 4 ½ - 5 hours, 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 6 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)