Christmas Cake, Part 2

Following baking, the cake cools in its tin next to a freshly-baked granary loaf. It smells gorgeous!

The cake mixture is ready to bake.

The batter mixture sets rather than rise the way a Victoria Sponge would.

BAKING THE CAKE

Measure out

175g Lurpak Lighter

175g dark muscovado sugar

3 eggs

50g self-raising flour

100g plain flour

1 tablespoon black treacle (didn't have any, so used golden syrup)

1 tsp. ground mixed spice

Beat very well together in a food mixer for 3 minutes.

Stir in 50g blanched chopped almonds (this year I used walnuts instead). Stir in all the soaked fruit and sherry (see Christmas Cake, Part 1)

Grease and line an 8 inch/20 cm round cake tin (or a 7 inch/18 cm square tin). Spoon the cake mixture into the tin and level off the top. Put the cake on to a rack in the simmering oven of the Aga for 4 - 10 hours. When cooked, a warm skewer pierced through the centre of the cake will come out clean. If not cooked yet, bake for another 30 minutes or so and test again. Leave to cool in the tin.

In a conventional oven

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275°F (140°C). Wrap the tin in brown paper or newspaper and tie it with string. This is to protect the outside of the cake from burning. Bake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 4-4¾ hours. Sometimes it can take up to ½-¾ hour longer than this, but don't look until at least 4 hours have passed. A fan-assisted oven may need to be set at a slightly lower temperature.