This is my mother's recipe for a rhich fruit Christmas cake. Indeed, it's one of the best rich fruit cakes that I've ever tasted and it's used as the basis for Christmas Cakes, Twelfth Night Cakes and Wedding Cakes for the entire family. This year I will have a chance to take a cake based on this recipe to my new family in Africa. Few of our friends or family could survive without this cake recipe!

Ingredients

420g sultanas

270g raisins

270g currants

120g chopped prunes

120ml brandy or Madeira

360g butter

300g dark brown sugar

300g plain flour

120g ground almonds

pinch of salt

1 tsp mixed spice

5 eggs, well beaten

grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange

juice of 1 lemongrated rind of 1 orange

The night before mix all the fruit, the wine and the lemon juice and allow to marinate. The following day cream together the butter and sugar until soft and very fluffy. Sieve all the dry ingredients together and beat the eggs well. Gradually add the flour mix and the eggs alternately into the butter and sugar mix. Beat well after each additon.

When done gradually add the fruit to the mix and beat well so that they are completely integrated.

When ready spoon the mixture into two 1kg loaf pans (or a large square or round tin) that have been well greased and lined with greaseproof paper. Place in the centre of an oven pre-heated to 150°C and cook for an hour. Cover the top with greaseproof paper, reduce the heat to 140°C and cook for a further four hours, or until the cake is done and a skewer inserted into the centre emerges clean.

If you would like more cakes and recipes like this then why not visit my Christmas Recipes Page. You'll find lots more Christmas recipes from ancient times to today.