Catherine's Christmas Cake

Wed, 2 December 2015

Catherine Leyden kicks off her festive baking series with this classic Christmas cake. 

Ingredients

225g/8oz Odlums Cream Plain Flour

175g/6oz Butter (at room temperature)

175g/6oz Shamrock Light Muscovado Sugar

4 Large Egg

275g/10oz Shamrock Raisins

275g/10oz Shamrock Sultanas

100g tub Shamrock Cherries

100g tub Shamrock Mixed Peel

100g packet Shamrock Chopped Almonds

100g packet Shamrock Ground Almonds

Rind of 1 Lemon

Rind of 1 Orange

½ teaspoon Goodall's Mixed Spice

½ teaspoon Goodall's Nutme

2 tablespoons Whiskey

Method

1. Preheat oven to 120°C/250°F/Gas½. Line a 20cms/8" round or 18cms/7" square deep cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment.

2. Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs with a few spoonfuls of the flour. Sieve in the remaining flour and the spices. Mix well.

3. Finally, stir in the raisins, sultanas, cherries, mixed peel, chopped nuts, ground almonds, lemon rind, orange rind and whiskey. Make sure ingredients are well combined.

4. Transfer to prepared tin. Level off top with back of the spoon. Bake for about 3½ to 4 hours but check at regular intervals after 2½ hours!

5. When baked (a knife inserted into cake should come out clean, no dough attached to it) remove from oven and allow to cool in tin.

6. When cold, remove from tin and wrap in greaseproof paper then tin foil. Store in a cool dry place until ready for decorating.

Note: Ovens vary a lot nowadays so above temperature and times are just a guideline. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and guidelines.