Sam Hall

Edith’s Christmas Cake

2 hours baking, plus overnight soaking

Ingredients

Fruit — soak in the brandy overnight

  • 340 g currants
  • 170 g sultanas
  • 170 g raisins
  • 40 g candied peel
  • 60 g glacé cherries, chopped into 3 or 4
  • 50 g almonds, finely chopped
  • 4-ish tablespoons brandy
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice, from an orange not a box
  • Optional — 2 or 3 dried apricots, chopped; a few dried cranberries are good too

Everything else

  • 170 g plain flour
  • 170 g unsalted butter
  • 150–160 g moist brown or muscovado sugar (dark, or dark and light mixed)
  • 3 eggs
  • Grated rind of an orange and a lemon
  • A couple of teaspoons of Christmas spices — especially nutmeg and cinnamon, plus cloves and ginger if you have them
  • Level dessert spoon of black treacle
  • Pinch of salt

Method

  1. Soak fruit in brandy overnight.
  2. Line a 20 cm tin.
  3. Cream butter and sugar, then add beaten egg a little at a time.
  4. Fold in flour and spices.
  5. Stir in fruit, almonds, orange and lemon rind, and finally black treacle.
  6. Mix very well, spoon into the tin, level the surface.
  7. Cook at 150°C for about 30 minutes.
  8. Turn down to 130°C and leave a further 1½ hours or so.
  9. Watch it doesn’t burn — cook until firm and a rich golden colour.
  10. If the colour is right but it needs longer, cover the top with foil.

Storing

When cold, wrap in paper and foil. Store at least 4 weeks, feeding with brandy every so often.