British Christmas Cake

== Ingredients ==
* 2 lbs mixed dried fruit The mixed dried fruit should be such things as seedless raisins and currants.
* 4 oz glace cherries
* 4 oz candied fruit
* 3 oz blanched almonds
* 10 oz plain flour
* 1 pinch salt
* ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
* 1 tsp mixed spice "Mixed spice" is a combination of cinnamon, allspice and mace: about ⅓ of each).
* 4 eggs
* ½ tsp flavoring (vanilla, lemon) The ½ teaspoon of "flavoring" can be almond, or lemon, or vanilla, or a mixture of the three.
* 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
* 8 oz butter
* 8 oz soft brown sugar
* 1 whisky to soak fruit
* 250 ml milk (to mix)
== Directions ==
# Find a 9-inch cake pan at least three inches deep; grease it, and line the bottom and sides with a double thickness of greased baking parchment.
# Tie folded brown paper or newspaper around the outside of the pan.
# The paper is insulation, to keep the sides of the cake from scorching as it bakes.
# Set oven to 320 – 350°F: have folded paper to stand the pan on when baking—place low in oven.
# Pick over the dried fruit, removing any stems, etc.
# Wash, drain well and spread over a cloth on a tray to dry.
# When dry, put in a bowl and pour a small wine-glass of spirit over it.
# Cover well and leave overnight.
# Next day, add chopped peel, blanched chopped almonds, and cherries minced and drained.
# Mix thoroughly.
# Sift together the flour, salt, soda and spice.
# Beat the eggs well with the molasses and flavoring.
# Put the butter into a large warmed bowl and beat until soft; then add the Sugar and beat until light and creamy.
# Beat in the egg mixture, about a sixth of it at a time, then fold in half the flour mixture.
# Add remainder of the flour to the fruit and mix well.
# Add fruit to creamed mixture and fold in well.
# Put into pan and bake for about 3½ to 4 hours or until done.
# If top of cake is browning too fast, cover with a few thicknesses of paper.
# Reduce the oven heat slightly every hour—about 10 degrees.
# Test with skewer for doneness.
# Keep the paper wrapped around the cake in place until completely cooled, so that the cooling takes place slowly.
# After completely cooled, invert the cake, lift the baking parchment off the bottom, and sprinkle the cake generously with the spirit of your choice.
# Wrap well in foil, put in a sealed tin, and keep in a cool place (not necessarily refrigerated).
# The cake benefits from occasional unwrappings and sprinkling with more spirit.
# It takes about 2 months to achieve maximum "mellowness".
== Notes ==
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Category:Christmas