The cake can be made at least two months before Christmas for it to mature and to be fed with brandy earlier if you’d like. If you are making it later, don’t worry—it will still taste delicious.
For the cake, you will need:
- 284 grams butter (slightly softened)
- 284 grams soft brown sugar
- 1/2 lemon (zested)
- 6 large eggs (lightly beaten)
- 510 grams currants
- 284 grams all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground)
- Pinch salt
- 228 grams sultanas
- 228 grams raisins
- 114 grams mixed candied peel (finely chopped)
- 170 grams glace cherries (halved)
Line a 22 cm (9-inch) cake tin with two layers of parchment or grease-proof paper. Tie a double band of brown or newspaper paper around the outside. This acts as an insulator to prevent the cake from burning on the outside.
Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon zest. Add the beaten eggs to the butter mixture a little bit at a time, beating well after each addition. Do not try to rush this process as the mixture could curdle. If it does curdle simply add a tablespoon of flour and mix again. This should bring the mixture back together. If it doesn’t come back together, don’t fret, the cake will still be delicious.
Once you have creamed together the butter, sugar and added the eggs, your mixture should be light, fluffy, and pale in colour.
In a separate bowl, add the flour, spices, and salt to the dried fruits and stir really well making sure there is no flour at the bottom of the bowl.
Carefully fold in half the flour and fruit into the egg and butter mixture. Once incorporated, repeat with the remaining flour and fruit. Finally, add the brandy.
Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin, making sure there are no air pockets. Once filled, smooth the surface with the back of a spoon and make a slight dip in the center (this will rise back up again during cooking and create a smooth surface for icing the cake).
Preheat the oven to 150 C. Bake in the center of the oven for 4 1/2 hours. If the cake is browning too rapidly, cover the tin with a double layer of grease-proof or parchment paper after 2 1/2 hours. During the cooking time, avoid opening the oven door too often as this may cause the cake to collapse.
Set the cake to cool in the tin on a wire rack for an hour. Remove it from the tin, taking off the paper, and leave to cool completely.
Once cooled, prick the surface of the cake with a fine metal skewer and slowly pour over 2 to 3 tablespoons of brandy. This feeding should be repeated every two weeks up until Christmas.
The cake should be wrapped in grease-proof or parchment paper and stored in an airtight tin.
