Sonia's Christmas Cake

Perfect timing for Christmas in July events....

.get your Christmas Cake cooked now.!!!

RICH CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE

I have been baking this for over 10 years and never had a disaster, I usually do a double batch and manage to make a round, a square and about 16 small loaves. In 2008 I baked them in the papercraft tins, It only made 8 small cakes, with my round and loaf tins - the round is saved for Christmas day, the loaf tin is what I serve in the lead up to Christmas day.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• 500g sultanas
• 250g raisins
• 250g dates chopped
• 125g currents
• 125g pitted prunes chopped
• 100g glace aprictos chopped
• 100g glace cherries halved
• 2 tblspns grated orange rind
• 1/2cup brandy
• 1/2 cup water
• 250g butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/3 cup treacle
• 5 eggs
• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 tspn mixed spice
• decorate with whole blanched almonds and pecans

Method

1. Mix fruit, rind, brandy, and water, cover, store overnight or for up to 1 month (stir occasionally)
2. Preheat oven 150 degrees, Grease and triple line tin (mixture does both round (23cm) tin and loaf tin.
3. Beat butter, sugar, & treacle until creamy, add eggs one at a time, beating well.
4. Stir into fruit mixture. Add flour & spice, mix until combined.
5. Spoon into tins, tap tins on bench, smooth then decorate.
6. BAKE 3 -3 1/2 hours.
7. While hot drizzle with brandy cool in tin wrapped in a towel. When cold remove from tin wrap in glad wrap and store for up to 3 months.