How to Make A Christmas Cake (Part 1)

Want to make a traditional Christmas cake? Then look no further than Titli's Busy Kitchen.

Part 2 (Feeding the cake) at youtu.be/Qx44Zs5tnOU
Part 3 (Covering with marzipan) at youtu.be/gsjlumjLPQ0
Part 4 (Icing the cake) at youtu.be/RvWB_8pTUFY

Ingredients

200 g (7 oz) plain flour
200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
200 g (7 oz) sugar (brown is best for flavour)
200 g (7 oz) currants
200 g (7 oz) sultanas
200 g (7 oz) raisins
100 g (3½ oz) glacé cherries, halved
50 g (2 oz) candied (mixed) peel
4 eggs
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt

Optional extras

150 g (5 oz) dried cranberries
50 g (2 oz) flaked almonds
50 g (2 oz) ground almonds
½ tsp almond essence


Instructions

Preheat oven to 150°C.
Cream together the butter and the sugar.
Add the eggs one at a time with a tbsp of the flour. Beat the mixture well between each egg added.
Seive in the flour, spices and salt. Add the lemon zest, almond extract and the ground almonds. Beat well.
Mix together all the dried fruit and nuts in a large bowl. Add the mixed fruit into the cake mixture and stir well.
Grease an 8″ (20 cm) cake tin and line with baking paper. Pour the mixture into the tin. (For a 10″ cake tin you will need help!)
Press the mixture down well and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake in the middle of the oven at 150°C for 2-2½ hours.
After 2 hours check the cake with a skewer. If the skewer comes out clean, your cake is done!
Allow to cool on a wire rack before removing from the cake tin.

Titli’s Tips

Use a cake tin with a pop-up bottom or a springform tin – it’s so much easier to get the cake out of the tin!

For a 10″ cake bake at 150°C for 1½ hours, the turn the oven temperature down to 140°C and cook for no more than an extra 1½ hours.