Christmas Cake Recipe



Ingredients

* 12 oz Plain Flour
* 1 tsp Cinnamon
* 1 tsp Mixed Spice
* A pinch of Salt
* 4 oz Candied Peel
* 4 oz Cherries
* 2 lb Dried fruits
* 4 oz Blanched Almonds
* 4 Eggs
* 4 tbsp Sherry
* 1 Lemon (Finely grated)
* 8 oz Margarine
* 8 oz Sugar,
* 1 tbsp Black treacle

Method

* Sieve together all the dry ingredients.
* Mix the peel, fruit, cherries, chopped almonds and lemon rind.
* Whisk the eggs and sherry together.
* Beat the margarine, sugar and black treacle until soft.
* Add the flour and egg mixtures alternately to the margarine little by little till it has a thick paste consistency.
* Stir in the fruit mixture.
* Put into an 8-9 inch tin, lined with greaseproof paper round the sides and at the bottom.
* Now, tie a double band of brown paper round the outside of the rim, standing well up above the top of it.
* Put in the middle of a hot oven. Bake for 3 1/4-31/2 hours at gas mark 3 for the first 1 1/2 hours, and then decrease to gas mark 2 for the remainder.
* Cool the cake in the tin, then store in an airtight container.
* Can be served hot or cold with custard or double cream respectively