Ingredients:

• 275g butter
• 225g soft brown sugar
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 275g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 100g ground almonds
• 350g dried fruit (must be currants, raisins, sultanas, prunes, orange peel, ginger, dates)
• 175g glacé cherries – red, green and yellow
• 175g glacé pineapple
• Small packet crystallized or candied ginger

Optional:

• 100g nuts – a mix of almonds, pecans and walnuts
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• Brandy

Method:

1. Marinate fruit and nuts for two months in brandy, as much as it will soak up! If you miss the two-month window, saturate the fruit/nuts for at least five days in tonnes of brandy
2. Preheat oven to 170 ̊C.
3. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin. I like the log tins.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale.
5. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour in the process.
6. Sift in the rest of the flour and spices, then stir until combined.
7. Add the fruit and nuts to the mixture, as well as the lemon and cut the candied ginger into chunky halves. The mix should be very fruit and nut dominated and the butter/eggs/flour mixture binding it together allowing for a very moist Christmas cake.
8. Stir until combined and pour mixture into cake tin.
9. Bake for 1 hour, then turn to 120°C and cook for another 40 minutes. Keep a check on it, depending on your oven.
10. Allow to cool in the oven.
11. Decorate with some fresh holly sprig (from your local florist) and if you want to, pour a little brandy after it cools.