Not Too Late, Christmas Cake!

Don’t panic! you can make this cake just two or three days before Christmas and serve it with confidence.  

Bake it then spread with an apricot jam glaze and top with glace cherries and whole almonds.

Alternatively, glaze, then cover with ready made almond paste, then add ready to roll out fondant icing.  What could be easier.

I’m not going to waste time with too many hints and tips, I’ll simply give you the recipe and let you make haste to mix and bake.

First of all, grease and line the base of a 7 inch, or 18 cm, cake tin with greaseproof paper, then grease the paper again.

Pre-heat your oven to 325 f, 170 C, 150 Fan, Gas mark 3,

Sieve 8 oz, or 225 g, plain flour, 2 level tsps of baking powder, and 2 level tsps of mixed spice, ,   into a large mixing bowl.

Stir in 5 oz, or 150 g, of soft, dark brown muscovado sugar.

Now, in another bowl, beat together a quarter of a pint, or 5 fl.oz, or 150 ml, vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, and 2 fl.oz, or 50 ml, that’s approx 2 and a half tbsps,  of cold milk.

When you’ve beaten them together well, add to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and stir well.

Now add, 1 lb, or 450 g, mixed dried fruit, and 3 oz, 75 g, chopped almonds or pecan nuts.

Stir everything together well.

Next, spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, level the top with a flat bladed knife, and bake for about 1 and a half hours, perhaps up to 15 minutes less in a fan oven.  Cover the top of the cake with a sheet of kitchen foil if it should start to get too brown after about an hour.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about an hour, then turn it out onto a wire rack to go completely cold.

Wrap the cake in a double layer of greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin until you’re ready to decorate it.

Happy Christmas cooking.

And a very merry christmas 2008 to one and all.

Sue.

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