"PeterLucas" > wrote in message
0.25...
> My recently widowed BIL is coming up to stay for awhile at the end of
> the month, and his SO was the Christmas Cake maker in the family.
> Somewhat of a tradition, it was. Even when living in England, she used
> to make a huge cake and send it to the family here in Oz in time for the
> family Christmas get-together.
>
> I made a cake for us last Chritmas (the first one without a K1 cake),
> and my SO (who doesn't like fruit cake, but loved this one!!) has passed
> on the Family Christmas Cake Maker honour from her older sister, to me.
> She told me that K1 would have been proud of my cake.
>
>
> So............... this year I'm going to make them well in advance, and
> let them 'mature' in the cupboard till Christmas time. I'll give the BIL
> one to take back home to share with his kids and friends down south.
>
>
> Peters Christmas Cake.
>
>
> 500g (1 lb) butter
> 500g (1 lb) Brown Sugar (the darker the better)
> 2 level tablespoons Mixed Spice
> 2 level dessertspoons Cinnamon
> 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
> 12 eggs
> 500g (1 lb) Flour
> 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
> Grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon
> 1kg (2 lb) Seeded Raisins
> 500g (1 lb) Sultanas
> 500g (1 lb) Currants
> 225g (1/2 lb) Mixed Peel
> 225g (1/2 lb) Cherries (I used Glace' cherries)
> 225g (1/2 lb) Almonds
> 4 tablespoons Wine or Brandy
> 1&1/2 cups combined red wine and brandy extra
>
>
> Cream butter sugar and spices together, add egg yolks and beat well.
> Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites alternatively with sifted flour and
> baking powder. Add grated rind and fruit and nuts. (Chop the cherries up
> and whizz the almonds (if whole) in a food processor). Lastly, add all
> the booze and mix.
>
> Grease and line your biggest cake tin with baking paper (mine's a 9"
> square and as you saw from the pics, still wasn't big enough!!).
>
> http://tinyurl.com/2o77tk
>
> Bake approx 5 hours at 120C (250F) and then 2 hours at 100C (200F)
>
>
> Note: With the egg whites, I put them and the flour in the mix in 3
> batches. The egg whites won't properly 'assimilate' by themselves so
> rather than spend too long trying to make them mix in, throw some flour
> in with them.
> And with the extra 1&1/2 cups of booze, mix them together in whatever
> quantities you want, and even add more if you wish... it'll just make
> the cake moister :-)
>
> My mix was predominately brandy with about 1/2 cup red wine...... it was
> *good* red wine, and I wanted to save it for drinking!!


You can also leave out the booze but spoon a couple tablespoons over the
cakes about once a month.

Paul