AVIES HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS CAKE

Actually the original recipe is quite a lot older than I am , I have modified it slightly as we all detest currants,nasty bitter crunchy little things,the recipe contains 32oz of fruit , so long as the amount remains the same you can add more or less of the main ingredients to suit your families taste...even the dreaded currants!


8 oz butter

8 oz soft brown sugar

1 tablespoon of black treacle

grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

9 oz plain white flour

1 level teaspoon of baking powder

1 level teaspoon of mixed spice

a little grated nutmeg

a pinch of salt

8 oz sultanas

8 oz raisins

8 oz mixed peel

6 oz glacé cherries halved

2 oz crystallised ginger chopped

2 oz chopped whole almonds

2 oz ground almonds

5 eggs

Line an 8” square or a 9” round baking tin with a layer of foil and a layer of greaseproof paper lightly oiled on both sides,line both the bottom and the sides of the tin and cut the paper 2” wider than the hight of the tin. Tie a double thickness of brown paper round the outside and secure with string.

Heat oven to 325oF

Cream the butter,sugar treacle and lemon rind together.

Sift the flour,mixed spice,nutmeg and salt,then beat the eggs until frothy.

Add half of the beaten egg five tablespoons of the flour and half of the fruit and nut mixture and beat in.

Add the remaining egg and the rest of the dry ingredients together with the lemon juice,this time stir in thoroughly, do not beat!

Spoon into the tin and smooth the surface of the mixture, then with the back of a tablespoon make a shallow well in the middle of the cake,this will ensure a flat topped cake which is easier to ice.

Place in the oven and reduce the temperature at once to 300oC and bake for one and a half hours.

During the next 30 minutes gradually reduce the temperature by degrees to 275oC and cover with a piece of foil. Cook for a further 2 hours then using a metal skewer check to see it the cake is done ,if the skewer comes out of the cake sticky give it 30 minutes more cooking time.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool overnight in the tin.

Next day wrap the cake in foil and store. If you wish you may feed the cake with a small glass of rum,brandy or scotch every three weeks by pricking the cake with a cocktail stick and pouring the spirits over the top of the cake then wrap in foil as before. This recipe is not as complex as it sounds,and is wonderfully moist. Decorating the cake comes later,good luck.