Christmas Cake Recipe – Grandad Ted’s and Grannie Min’s - # 2

Makes a 10lb (4.5 kg) Cake

1 ½ lb (681 grams) Butter – Room Temperature

1 ½ lb (681) Dates 

1 ½ lb (681 grams) Currants

1½ lb (681 grams) Sultanas

½ lb (226 grams) Mixed Peel

1½ lb (681 grams) Raisins

½ lb (226 grams) Almond – chopped

1 ¼ lb (568 grams) Dark Brown Sugar

1 ½ lb (681 grams) Wholemeal Self Raising Flour (triple sifted)

1 Teaspoons Mixed Spice (sifted with flour)

1 Teaspoon Ginger (Sifted with flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder (Added to Wine glass of Spirits)

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

1 x Wineglass full of Brandy (Can Use Rum or Whisky or 1/3 each or ½ & ½ = Your choice)

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

Grease and Double line 1 x 12inch (30cm wide) by 4 inch deep pan, with the greaseproof paper coming up over the pan by 4 finger widths. Can use VERY LARGE Loaf Pan for a Log!

Combine together well in a clean large bowl the Currants, Sultanas, Mixed Peel, Raisins 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 2 at a time and beat well on a slow speed.

Add the dried fruit mixture, 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.

Then Add Glass of Spirit and beat extremely well for about 5-6 minutes.

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

This cake take around 6 hours if using loaf pan or large square or round 4-5  hours to cook –to test, insert a metal skewer into middle of cake, it should come out clean when done if not done just cook and test in 30 minute increments.  Do not even try to test before 4 hours!

Take out of oven and leave in cake tin 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 ~ I will admit I make about 10 Christmas Cakes each year and give away 7 - On them (I know my friends well) I use 1/3 Brandy, 1/3 Rum and 1/3 Cointreau.

On my own cakes - I have 1 where I use 1/2 Rum and 1/2 Cointreau, 1 where I do not use anything, and 1 where I use Tia Maria (My daughters favourite)

I hope I have given you some inspiration.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with only the richest of blessings.