Christmas Cake

Ingredients

• 14 tbspbutter, softened
• 1 cupdark brown sugar
• 1 2/3 cupsall-purpose flour
• 4eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cupground almonds
• 0.4 cupsherry, alcohol fully cooked off during 2+ hour bake
• 3 ozcandied peel
• 3 ozglacé cherry, halved
• 1 1/2 cupsraisins
• 1 1/2 cupscurrants
• 1 cuppecan nuts
• 1lemon, zest only, grated
• 1 1/2 tbspapple pie spice
• 1 1/2 tbsprose water
• 1/2 tspvanilla extract
• 1/2 tspbaking powder

Method

1. 1

   Heat oven to 325°F / 275°F fan / Gas 3. Line the base and sides of a 20cm round, 7.5cm deep cake pan.

2. 2

   Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for 1–2 minutes until very creamy and pale, scraping down the sides halfway through.

3. 3

   Stir in a spoonful of flour, then add the beaten eggs and remaining flour alternately in four additions, beating well each time. Stir in the ground almonds.

4. 4

   Mix in the sherry — the mixture will look curdled but this is normal. Add the candied peel, glacé cherries, raisins, currants, pecans, lemon zest, apple pie spice, rose water and vanilla. Beat to combine, then stir in the baking powder.

5. 5

   Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, smooth the top and make a slight dip in the center. Bake for 30 minutes.

6. 6

   Lower the temperature to 300°F / 275°F fan / Gas 2 and bake for a further 2–2¼ hours until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

7. 7

   Leave to cool completely in the pan, then remove and peel off the lining paper. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil. The cake keeps for several months.