Maggie Beer'S Christmas Cake

• 500 g sultanas
• 300 g currants
• 175 g seedless raisins
• 1/4 cup good-quality bitter marmalade
• 150 g mixed peel
• 2 grated oranges, zest of
• 120 ml brandy
• 300 g unbleached plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 220 g softened unsalted butter
• 200 g soft light brown sugar
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 100 g blanched almonds

1. Mix the dried fruit and orange zest together in a glass or china bowl.
2. Pour the brandy over and mix again.
3. Cover the bowl and leave for at least 24 hours, turning mixture occasionally.
4. Preheat oven to 140 degrees C.
5. Grease and line a 24cm round cake tin with several layers of paper.
6. Paper should extend 10cm above the rim of the tin.
7. Sift flour, spices and salt.
8. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.
9. Beat eggs in a separate bowl then mix very gradually into the creamed mixture.
10. Gently fold in the spiced flour, then fold in the dried fruit mixture.
11. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
12. Decorate the top with blanched almonds.
13. Bake for about 3 hours.
14. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean when the cake is cooked.
15. A baking dish full of water placed on the oven shelf below the cake during cooking will help keep the cake moist.
16. Cool the cake in the tin for 30 minutes before transfering to a wire rack.
17. To store, wrap the cake in several layers of greaseproof paper, then wrap in foil and store in an air-tight tin.

currants, raisins, bitter marmalade, mixed peel, oranges, brandy, unbleached plain flour, freshly grated nutmeg, ground mixed spice, salt, butter, brown sugar, freerange eggs, blanched almonds

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/maggie-beers-christmas-cake-50686 (may not work)