Christmas cake

Method7 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Heat the oven to 160°C / 140°C fan. Line the base and sides of a 20 cm round cake tin, 7.5 cm deep.

2. 2

   Step 2: Beat the softened butter (200g) and sugar for one to two minutes until pale and creamy, scraping the bowl halfway through. Beat the four eggs separately. Stir a spoonful from the measured flour (200g) into the creamed butter, then incorporate the beaten eggs and all the remaining flour alternately in quarter portions, mixing well after each addition.

   Uses 200g butter, softened · 200g dark muscovado sugar · 200g Plain Flour · 4 eggs, beaten in step2

3. 3

   Step 3: Stir all the ground almonds (50g) into the mixed cake batter.

   Uses All cake batter · 50g Ground Almonds

4. 4

   Step 4: Mix the sherry (100ml) into the batter; it may look curdled. Roughly chop the candied peel (85g) and glacé cherries (85g) and break the pecans into large pieces. Wash and zest the lemon. Mix in all the peel, cherries, raisins (250g), currants (250g), pecans, lemon zest, mixed spice (1½tsp), rosewater (1½tsp) and vanilla (1/2 tsp), then stir in the baking powder (1/2 tsp).

   Uses All almond cake batter · 100ml Sherry · 85g Candied Peel · 85g Glace Cherry · 250g Raisins · 250g Currants · 100g Pecan Nuts · Finely grated zest of1 lemon

5. 5

   Step 5: Transfer the batter to the lined tin. Smooth the top with a slight dip in the centre. Bake at 160°C / 140°C fan for thirty minutes.

   First cake bake at 160°C / 140°C fan · 30 minUses All the complete fruit cake batter

6. 6

   Step 6: Lower the oven to 150°C / 130°C fan and continue baking for two to two and a quarter hours, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

   Continue cake bake at 150°C / 130°C fan · 135 minUses The partly baked fruit cake

7. 7

   Step 7: Cool the cake in its tin. Lift it out, remove the lining paper and let it become completely cold. Serve the plain cake in sixteen slices, or wrap it well in food wrap and foil to keep ready for later serving or decoration.

   Uses The whole fully baked cake