Glen’s Christmas Cake (fruitcake)

Total Time: 5 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• 375 g raisins
• 375 g sultanas
• 310 g currants
• 60 g glace cherries, halved
• 3 tablespoons rum, overproof best (or brandy)
• 3 tablespoons sherry wine
• 250 g butter
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 lemon, zest of, only
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 2 tablespoons marmalade (or jam)
• 5 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon parisienne essence
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup almonds, blanched & chopped
• 1 cup almonds (omit if icing cake)
• 1 tablespoon sherry wine, extra
• 1 tablespoon milk, extra

Recipe

• 1 prepare fruit; wash fruit separately and dry thoroughly; chop raisins and put all fruit into container with tight lid along with cherries, add rum and sherry; mix to coat fruit, chill overnight or several days.
• 2 cake mixture; beat butter and brown sugar with grated lemon rind, until light and creamy; add golden syrup, marmalade (or jam) and parisienne essence, beat well.
• 3 add eggs one at a time, beating well after each, add 1 tbs flour with last egg.
• 4 sift together flour and spices and stir into creamed mixture alternately with fruit and chopped almonds.
• 5 prepare 20cm (8") square or round cake tin with 2 thicknesses each of brown and greased greasproof paper, paper should extend 10cm above the rim of the tin.
• 6 spoon mixture into tin, smooth top; brush milk over top of cake to stop cracking and arrange extra almonds on top (omit this is icing cake) and bake in a slow oven 140degc (275degf) for about 4 to 4 1/2hrs or until cooked.
• 7 place a baking dish of water on the shelf below during cooking to help keep cake moist.
• 8 brown paper can be placed over top of cake to keep top from scorching.
• 9 remove from oven, test with knife or skewer if it comes out clean it is cooked and immediately sprinkle with 1 tbs extra sherry; remove cake from tin but leave paper on cake; wrap well in tea towels or sheets of foil and leave until cold.