"This English Christmas cake is lovely in texture and taste. It just has one difference -- no chopped mixed peel."
Method for English Christmas Cake
- 1Grease an 8 inch square baking dish and line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- 2In a large bowl, combine the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir with a whisk until blended. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until each one is blended in. Stir in the dry ingredients just until moistened, then fold in the raisins, golden raisins, currants, cherries and almonds.
- 3Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Make a slight impression in the center with the back of a spoon so the cake will turn out level. Cover and leave in a cool place overnight.
- 4Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place the cake pan on a baking sheet.
- 5Bake for 4 hours in the preheated oven. When the cake is done, a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean. Cool in the pan for 1 hour, then turn out onto a wire rack and remove the paper. When completely cool, poke with a skewer every inch or so, and spoon brandy into the holes. Wrap in waxed paper and store in a cool place until serving.
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups butter
- 1 3/4 cups superfine sugar
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups raisins
- 2 cups golden raisins
- 4 cups dried currants
- 1 cup candied cherries
- 3/4 cup chopped almonds
- 2 tablespoons brandy
December 20, 2016
