Ingredients
14oz (400g) Sultanas
14oz (400g) Raisins
4oz (100g) Glace Cherries
4 tablespoons (60ml) Brandy
8oz (250g) Plain Flour
Half teaspoon (2.5ml) Salt
Quarter teaspoon (1.25ml) fresh grated nutmeg
Half teaspoon (2.5ml) mixed spice
8oz (250g) Unsalted butter
8oz (250g) Soft brown sugar
4 large eggs
2oz (50g) ground almonds
1 dessert spoon (10ml) golden syrup or black treacle
1 Grated rind of orange and lemon
Almond Paste
4oz (125g) Icing sugar
4oz (125g) caster sugar
8oz (250g) Ground Almonds
Half teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon (5ml) lemon juice
Royal Icing
2 egg whites
16oz (500g) Icing sugar
1 teaspoon (5ml) lemon juice
1 teaspoon (5ml) glycerine
Directions
Soak the fruit in brandy and leave in a covered bowl overnight.
Cream the butter and sugar together.
Mix the flour, ground almonds, salt and spices together and whisk the eggs.
Alternately add the flour mixture and eggs into the creamed butter and sugar.
When thoroughly mixed stir in the fruits and brandy, grated orange and lemon rind and syrup or treacle.
Place cake mixture in a well-greased cake tin (8” round or 7” square and preferably lined with greaseproof paper).
Bake at 275F (140C) on a low shelf for about 4 hours.
When completely cool wrap well in baking parchment and foil and store in an air-tight container for up to 6 weeks.
A few days before Christmas, cover the cake with almond paste. Allow the almond paste at least a day to dry and then cover the cake with Royal Icing.
Almond Paste
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix in the caster sugar and ground almonds. Add the vanilla extract, egg and lemon juice and mix to a stiff dough. Knead lightly and shape into a ball. Cover until ready to use.
Divide the almond paste into two balls. On a work surface dusted with icing sugar, roll out one of the balls into a long strip sufficient to go around the sides of the cake. Roll out the other ball to cover the top of the cake.
Cover the whole cake with sieved apricot jam. Firmly stick the almond paste to the sides and top of the cake and smooth the joins with a rolling pin.
Royal Icing
Whisk the egg whites until frothy, then sift and stir in about a quarter of the icing sugar with a wooden spoon. Continue adding more sugar gradually, beating well with each addition, until about three-quarters of the sugar has been added.
Beat in the lemon juice and continue to beat for about 10 minutes until the icing is very white and smooth. Beat in the remaining sugar and lastly add the glycerine to prevent the icing becoming too hard.
Cover the almond pasted cake with the icing. Rather than trying to get the icing very smooth I usually go for the much easier “snow scene” effect, lifting the icing in small even peaks with the tip of a knife. I then add a selection of cake decorations e.g. pine trees, holly, etc.
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