Ooh got it now Am in Glasgow and you are right - definately a staying at home day
A Famous Christmas Cake
(makes a 23cm round cake or 20cm square cake)
350g plain flor (no raising agent)
1 tsp groun cinanamon
1 tsp mixed spice
115g mixed candid peel, chopped
900g mixed dried fruit (pref 450g currants, 225g sultanas, 225g seedless raisins)
50-115g blanched almonds, chopped
115g glace cherries, chopped
4 large eggs, whisked
4 tbsp sherry or brandy or rum or milk
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 orange (optional)
225g butter
225g sugar, preferably dark moist brown sugar
1 level tbsp black treacle or golden syrup
Prepare the tin carefully. Line the inside bottom with a double layer of brown papaer, then cover this with a double thickness of baking parchment. Line the sides of the tin with greased greseproof paper or baking parchement. Tie a deep double band of brown paper round the ouside of the ti.
Sift together the flour and spices. Mix the peel, dried fruits, almonds and cherries (if these are stickly flour them lightly). Blend the eggs with the sherry, brandy, rum or mil. Cream together the lemon and orange zest with the butter sugar and treacle (or golden syrup) until soft. Do not overbeat as this type of cake does not need as much aerating as light cakes. Gradually blend in the eggs mixture and sifted dried ingredients. Stir in all the fruit. Spoon the mixture into the tin, smooth flat, then press the top with slightly damp knuckles as this helps to keep the cake moist and flat.
Bake in the centre of an oven preheated to 160c (140-150c in fan oven) for hour and a half then lower the heat to 140-150c (123-130c in fan oven) and cook for apporx 2 hours. Baking times for rich fruit cakes vary considerably accroding to oven do test carefully!
To test the cake: first press firmly on top - there should be no impression - then check to see if the cake has shruck away from the sides of the tin. If it has then remove from oven; listen carefully. A rich fruit cake that is not quite cooked gives a definate humming noise, in which case return it to the oven for a short time and test again. Cool the cake in the baking tin, when completely cold turn it out carefully, wrao in foil and store in an airtight tin.
This cake is given a very moist texture of you prick it once or twice before icing and our several teaspoons of sherry, brandy or rum into the cake. Use a steel knitting needle or fine skewer make a number of small holes on top of the cake and spoon the sherry, brandy or rum over this. If wished turn the cake upside down and do same again. Wrap the soaked cake tightly in foil and store in a cool dry place. If you do not wish to mositen the cake during storage, do not worry, for it is still very rich and delicious.
There ya go, my good deed for the day is done!