Easy Christmas Cake

This makes a very big cake. I usually make it in a 10 inch square deep tin and it fills the tin to the top. It pays to extend the baking paper lining above the top of the tin just to be on the safe side as it does rise a small amount in the oven. Alternatively you could split this into 2 20cm tins for 2 regular sized cakes but you will need to reduce the cooking time.  You can leave the top plain, stud it with nuts and or glaze cherries before cooking as in the photo here, or top with a glaze fruit and nut topping, or ice in the traditional way with marzipan and fondant.
You will need a very large saucepan to cook the fruit in.

METHOD

1. Heat butter, sugar, dried fruits fruit, whisky or other alcohol, or orange juice, spice, baking soda and molasses in a very large saucepan. Heat over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.
2. Allow to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 125c bottom heat only (or top and bottom heat if bottom heat only is not available) 
4. Line a 10-inch (25cm square tin, 28cm round  or 2 20cm round tins) with 3 layers of baking paper, extending the paper above the top of the tin by at least 4 cm 
5. Add nuts to fruit mixture
6. Beat eggs and stir into fruit mixture
7. Then add dry ingredients and mix together well 
8. Spoon mixture into cake tin/s and smooth off top.
9. If you are topping cake with a pattern of nuts and/or cherries,  you arrange them on the top of the cake at this point. If you are topping with a mixture of dried glace fruit and nuts then this can be done after the cake is cooked.
10. Place on rack 2 (second to bottom) and cook for 3.5 -4 hours depending on the size of tin and the depth of cake.  If you are splitting into two cakes, check after 2 hours 45 minutes by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake. If the skewer comes out clean the cake is ready. Due to the cakes size and the different varieties of fruit that may be included, the cooking time can be different every time you cook this cake. 
11. Remove from oven and let cook completely on a rack. 
12. This cake can be made months in advance and kept wrapped in foil in an airtight container. If making far in advance, periodically you can poke a few holes in the top of the cake and pour over a couple of tablespoons of brandy sherry or whisky, rewrap and store until Christmas.

Fruit and nut topping 

1. Heat apricot jam with alcohol in a saucepan and brush liberally over the top of the cake.
2. Arrange the fruit and nuts over the cake as desired
3. Liberally brush more jam over the top of the dried fruit. 
4. Leave to set for an hour before storing