Christmas Cake Recipe…recipe by Eve Clarkson

500g brown sugar
500g butter
2 kg mixed fruit
125g walnuts
125g SR flour
375g Plain flour
10 eggs
2 flat teaspoons mixed spice
1/2 cup sherry
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla essence
Blanched almonds and red cherries for garnish

Soak mixed fruit in sherry while rest of ingredients prepared.

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celcius

Cream butter and brown sugar until light in colour.
Add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the mixed fruit, sherry and essences.
Stir in the flours and spice and fold into the mixture with the walnuts.

Line cake tines , base and sides with brown paper then glad bake (this enables the cake to cook slowly and evenly). Leave extra extending above the top of the tin.

This makes 10 cakes the size of large tuna tins, or 2 smaller cakes.

Decorate with cherry and blanched almonds.

Cook small cakes for 1 hour and larger for 2 hours ­ test with skewer and remove from overn when skewer clean.

Cool in the tins. When cool pour over 1-2 tablespoons of brandy (or you could try Ouzo for a different effect)

Wrap in glad wrap to keep if made in advance to Christmas.