Festive Christmas Cake

This Christmas Cake is perfect for the festive season and can also be used any time of the year for a Wedding or any other use that you may have for a rich fruit cake.


Ingredients:
600g dried mixed fruit
75g glacé cherries
75g mixed chopped nuts
Zest of 1 lemon
200g plain Flour
1 1/2 tsps mixed spice
50g ground almonds
175g soft dark brown sugar
175g softened butter
1 tbsp black treacle
4 eggs

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to about 130°c/low heat. Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs one by one, stirring in well (don't worry if the mixture curdles a bit, it will be fine once the flour is added).
3. Add the mixed spice and stir in well, then add the mixed nuts, glacé cherries and dried mixed fruit; stir well.
4. Add the ground almonds and then grate in the lemon zest.
5. Finally, add the black treacle, stir in well, then carefully stir in the flour.
6. Line a 20cm/8inch cake tin with greaseproof paper and then spoon in the mixture.
7. Cook for about 2½ - 3hrs Checking near it's end of cooking.
8. Let cool in it's tin then take out and clingfilm it.
9. Marzipan after a few days after cooking. Once marzipanned, let marzipan dry for about a week before icing
10. Enjoy!