Cornish Food Market

Christmas Cake

Method

1. The night before preparing the cake, soak the dried fruit in the brandy and cover.
2. When ready to prepare the cake, preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. 3. Grease and line with greaseproof paper a 9" (23cm) round cake tin. 4. Sift the flour, spices and almonds into a bowl then add the nuts and a pinch of salt. Stir thoroughly.
5. In a separate bowl, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest until fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one by one, adding a teaspoon of the flour mixture with each egg. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture then add the lemon juice and the brandy and dried fruit mixture.
6. Spoon into the prepared tin. Level the top and bake. After two hours, very loosely cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper and continue to bake for about another one hour, making three hours in total. Test for readiness after two-and-three-quarter hours' cooking. The cake is cooked when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and the sides have begun to shrink from the edges of the tin.
7. Remove to a wire rack. Once completely cold, wrap in foil and store in
an airtight container. After two weeks to 'feed' the cake : unwrap, prick the top with a long skewer and spoon over one to two tablespoons brandy. Reseal as before.
8. Ideally, cover with marzipan about a week before the royal icing is put on, to allow the marzipan time to dry out.
9. Cover with royal icing and decorate on Christmas Eve.

Ingredients

250g/9oz self-raising flour
1½tsp mixed spice
½tsp ground cinnamon
¼tsp ground cloves
50g/1¾oz ground almonds
350g/12oz each raisins, currants and sultanas
50g/1¾oz mixed peel
50g/1¾oz dried apricots, chopped
50g/1¾oz walnuts, roughly chopped
50g/1¾oz whole (unblanched) almonds, roughly chopped 250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened
200g/7oz dark muscovado sugar
grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
5 large free-range eggs
100ml/3½fl oz brandy, plus extra for 'feeding'
Marzipan and royal icing, to decorate