Ingredients- 8oz currants
- 8oz sultanas
- 8oz raisins
- 4oz cut mixed peel
- 4oz halved glacé cherries
- 2oz chopped almonds
- 8oz plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 level teaspoon mixed spice
- 1/2 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 8oz butter
- 8oz soft brown sugar
- Grated rind of one lemon
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tbsps brandy
Method 
1. It's best to make the cake in October or early November. First grease an 8 inch cake tin (pan), then line it with two layers of greased greaseproof paper. Tie two bands of strong brown paper around the outside of the cake tin. Turn on the oven to 300 deg F or 150 deg C.
2. Mix the currants, raisins, sultanas, almonds, peel and cherries together. Sieve (strain) the flour, salt and spices into a separate bowl.
3. Cream the butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs; beat well as you add them. If the mixture starts to curdle add a tablespoon of the flour mixture.
4. With a metal spoon, fold in half the flour then the other half with the brandy.
5. Fold in the fruit mixture and stir well.
6. Put into the prepared cake tin, smooth the top and leave a slight indentation in the middle. Place the tin on a layer of brown paper or newspaper near the bottom of the oven and bake for about 3 hours 45 minutes although you should check it after about 90 minutes. If the top is getting too brown, cover it with more brown paper to protect it.
7. When it is cooked, take it out of the oven and leave it to cool in the tin, then turn it out onto a cooling rack.
8. Store it wrapped in 2 or 3 sheets of greaseproof paper and then store in an airtight container.
9. While waiting to decorate it over the coming weeks, you can use a skewer to make holes in the bottom then pour about 2 tablespoons of brandy over it. You can do this every week. Make sure you wrap it up properly again each time and put it back in the airtight container.
To finish the cake
In early December, put marzipan (almond paste) on the cake. You can either make it yourself (see recipe below) or buy it ready made. If the top of the cake isn't perfectly flat, trim it so that it is.
Warm some apricot jam (jelly) in a pan then brush it on the sides of the cake. Now roll out a strip of marzipan (about 1/4 inch thick) to cover it all the way round with a small overlap on the top. Use a flat wide bladed knife to smooth the join of the strip.
Spread the warm apricot jam on the top of the cake then roll the marzipan into a circle to fit. Again, smooth the join, this time between the marzipan on top and on the side.
Leave the cake for about 3 days for the marzipan to dry.
Royal Icing
See below for the recipe or buy it ready made and just roll out.
Spread it over the marzipan. You can either make it completely flat and then decorate with pieces of marzipan shapes coloured with food dye or you can ice it using a piping bag and nozzles. I'm not good at decorative icing so I make my own royal icing then I can use a fork to raise peaks all over the cake so it looks like snow - see picture above.
1. It's best to make the cake in October or early November. First grease an 8 inch cake tin (pan), then line it with two layers of greased greaseproof paper. Tie two bands of strong brown paper around the outside of the cake tin. Turn on the oven to 300 deg F or 150 deg C.
2. Mix the currants, raisins, sultanas, almonds, peel and cherries together. Sieve (strain) the flour, salt and spices into a separate bowl.
3. Cream the butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs; beat well as you add them. If the mixture starts to curdle add a tablespoon of the flour mixture.
4. With a metal spoon, fold in half the flour then the other half with the brandy.
5. Fold in the fruit mixture and stir well.
6. Put into the prepared cake tin, smooth the top and leave a slight indentation in the middle. Place the tin on a layer of brown paper or newspaper near the bottom of the oven and bake for about 3 hours 45 minutes although you should check it after about 90 minutes. If the top is getting too brown, cover it with more brown paper to protect it.
7. When it is cooked, take it out of the oven and leave it to cool in the tin, then turn it out onto a cooling rack.
8. Store it wrapped in 2 or 3 sheets of greaseproof paper and then store in an airtight container.
9. While waiting to decorate it over the coming weeks, you can use a skewer to make holes in the bottom then pour about 2 tablespoons of brandy over it. You can do this every week. Make sure you wrap it up properly again each time and put it back in the airtight container.
To finish the cake
In early December, put marzipan (almond paste) on the cake. You can either make it yourself (see recipe below) or buy it ready made. If the top of the cake isn't perfectly flat, trim it so that it is.
Warm some apricot jam (jelly) in a pan then brush it on the sides of the cake. Now roll out a strip of marzipan (about 1/4 inch thick) to cover it all the way round with a small overlap on the top. Use a flat wide bladed knife to smooth the join of the strip.
Spread the warm apricot jam on the top of the cake then roll the marzipan into a circle to fit. Again, smooth the join, this time between the marzipan on top and on the side.
Leave the cake for about 3 days for the marzipan to dry.
Royal Icing
See below for the recipe or buy it ready made and just roll out.
Spread it over the marzipan. You can either make it completely flat and then decorate with pieces of marzipan shapes coloured with food dye or you can ice it using a piping bag and nozzles. I'm not good at decorative icing so I make my own royal icing then I can use a fork to raise peaks all over the cake so it looks like snow - see picture above.
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