Christmas Cake Recipe

½ lb margarine
½ lb soft brown sugar
4 large eggs
½ lb plain flour
¼ chopped mixed peel
¼ lb chopped glace cherries
1 lb raisins
½ lb sultanas
Small handful of chopped nuts (walnuts or almonds best)
1 teaspoon mixed spice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of salt
100ml Sherry and/or spirits

Directions:

Cream the margarine and sugar together in a large bowl.

In another bowl beat the eggs.

In a third bowl mix fruit, spices and salt. Sift the flour into the third bowl, blend well.

Add a little of the eggs to the first bowl. Then add a little of the contents of the third bowl and mix well. Repeat until everything is in the first bowl. Finally add sherry or spirits.

Turn into a greased and lined 8" cake tin. Make a slight hollow in the centre. Bake at gas mark 2 for an hour, then turn down to gas mark 1 for 2-2½ hours.

Further ideas:

While the cake is maturing you can turn it over and make holes in the underside, into which you can pour spirits.

A week beforehand, spread with apricot jam and apply marzipan. Then ice two or three days beforehand.

It also makes a good wedding cake: