Christmas Cake RICH

 Baking the Christmas cake was always a big event,though it's probably less so nowadays in many ways with processors and fan assisted ovens to lessen the strain. My mother wrapped her baking tin in brown paper to help protect the cake from the vagaries of the gas oven, would have been a shame to produce a cake with burnt edges and all steps were taken to protect it.
Christmas cakes aren't cheap, the dried fruits,nuts, brandy,sugar, spices, butter, eggs and flour all add up to an expensive outlay, but one from which a huge amount of satisfaction can be derived.
Once safely in the oven the aroma of baking can be savoured, while I write mine is in the oven and smells good and I'm confident it'll be good, I enjoyed making it happy in the knowledge it's not actually costing me a lot this year, I got lucky in the supermarket, last years 'All you need Christmas cake package' was on price reduction (with a convenient marketing best before date of Oct 19 2012) , 970gms of mixed fruit peel and cherries were mine for  €1.50.
I just needed to get the rest of the stuff.

This recipe works, and requires overnight soaking of the fruit apart from that it's quick.
Ingredients

400gms  Sultanas
400gms Fruit Mix (includes sultanas,currants, raisins and mixed peel)
3.5 oz/100gms Glacé Cherries
150ml Pale Sherry or Brandy
Rind and Juice of one Orange


225g/8oz  Plain Flour (sieved)
225g/8oz  Softened butter    
225g/8oz Dark Brown Sugar
5 Eggs (at room temperature)

3.5oz100gms  Chopped walnuts
3.5oz/100gms  Ground Almonds
3.5oz100gms  Flaked Almonds
1 teaspoon Mixed Spice
1 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger

Method
 Gather your ingredients together and  soak the fruit with the orange juice,grated rind of orange and sherry overnight.
Prepare a deep cake tin  8"20cm, line with grease proof paper bottom and sides with a 1"2.5cm overlap, also make a greaseproof paper disc (roughly 9"22.5cm) that will cover the top of the cake while baking to protect it. I actually use a saucepan to bake my cake in, the dimensions are the same and it's oven proof.

Next day.
Pre-heat your oven 140c/275f/Gas mk1

Cream the butter with the sugar in a mixing bowl or food processor, then add the eggs one by one.
Remove transfer contents in to large bowl and stir in the flour then add the rest of the ingredients mix well then spoon the mix into the cake tin/pot

Bake for 2 - 3 hours approx
. Nb.No two ovens are the same it's worth while buying an oven thermometer to get a true reading of your oven temperature.   
To check the cake is done, insert a skewer into the centre- if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
remove from the oven and cover with a clean cloth, leaving the cake in the tin/pot to cool overnight.
Storing your cake wrap it very well in cling film if you have a cake tin spare or old biscuit tin well and good, if not wrap in tinfoil and store in a cool  dry place.

Enjoy your Festive Baking!