There are several ways to guarantee a successful christmas cake.

• The first being to always soak your fruit in brandy for at least a couple of hours before adding to your recipe.
• The second is to beat the eggs, sugar & butter until they are light and fluffy ( if this curdles at this stage the cake will be drier).
• Fold the remaining ingredients gently, too much stirring will make the cake tough or even rise unevenly.
• Always bake larger cakes at a low temperature as too high a temperature will dry the cake out.
• Also remember large heavy fruited cakes improve with maturing, so if you leave it late make sure you try another variation which doesn’t need maturing.

Here is my family christmas cake recipe:

125g glace cherries, 50g no-soak apricots, 225g each of currants, sultanas, seedless raisins, 50g chopped mixed peel, 100ml brandy, 50g blanched almonds, 50g brazil nuts, butter, 1 lemon, 225g soft dark brown sugar, 4 eggs (size 2 if you do not know your egg sizes then take a look at my previous blog called ‘eggciting eggcapades’ on 14/08/08), 225g white plain flour, 1 tsp ground mixed spice, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground mace, 30ml milk, ingredients to decorate.

• Cut cherries into quarters and roughly chop the apricots and place these together with the rest of the dried fruit in a bowl. Pour over 75ml brandy and stir well. Cover the bowl and leave overnight.
• Roughly chop the almonds and the brazil nuts and store covered tightly until ready to use.
• Cut 2 circle of grease proof paper to fit your cake tin. Cut a further peice which will go around the tin and make sure at least 20cms above the top of the tin. You should snip one edge of this sheet with sissors which will make this fold inside your tin better. Grease your tin place one disc inside the base of the tin and then fit the other strip snipped side downwards around the sides grease the base again and place the second disc and grease again.
• Using a electric whisk if you have one (or manual whisk if not) beat the 225g butter with the finely grated lemon rind until soft and pale. Gradually beat in the sugar. Then in a jug lightly whisk the eggs and then slowing beat into the creamed ingredients. This mixture should have a smooth consistency.
• Sift together the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and mace. Using a large metal spoon gently fold the flour into the creamed ingredients along with the soaked fruit, nuts (which you chopped earlier) and the milk.  Do not beat the ingredients.
• Spoon your mixture into your prepared tin and level the surface. Tie a double band of brown paper around the outside of the side of the cake tin and secure with string. Place a further double sheet of brown paper on the middle oven shelf and sit the cake tin on top.
• Bake at 150 c 300 f or gas mark 2 for about 3 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. (if necessary cover with greaseproof paper or foil to prevent the top of your cake overbrowning.
• Leave to cool in the tin.
• Skewer the surface and add the remaining brandy and leave to soak in. Turn your cake out of the tin and wrap in greaseproof paper & foil.
• Store your cake for up to 3 months and I add tablespoons of brandy once a week to my cake (but do not add if the surface is still wet and the brandy has not been absorbed from last time).
• You can decorate accordingly by glacing with jam (taking apricot jam 8 tablespoons & 15ml of water and heat them together in a saucepan. Sieve and glace your cake.) You can then simple add glaced fruits to the top and a ribbon around the side before serving, or marzipan and then ice after the mazipan has dried, the choice is yours.

What is your favourite christmas treat?  My mother loves mince pies made with my homemade mincemeat and topped with meringue and almonds. My favourite would have to be the rich fruit cakes and christmas puddings, along with rich port and cranberry sauce to serve with your choice of meat.

Let me know if there is something you would like me to cover for you before the big day so I can help, send me your topics!