One of the guests (a cousin of mine) made this cake to bring to the meal on Saturday night
she'd poured a good muscat over the cake during the long resting time and it is absolutely
luscious to eat (she left us a generous piece of the cake).

By the time it is Christmas in Australia the temperatures have risen to
the high 30's to low 40's and its not really the weather for rich cakes
like this - we often celebrate the family Christmas meal in July.

....
CHRISTMAS CAKE

Make 6 weeks before Christmas and feed weekly with Brandy and Muscat or Sherry to your own taste. I use a lot ( use a good Brandy and or Muscat ).
THE BETTER THE BOOZE THE BETTER THE TASTE.
Great heated in micro-wave as pudding as well.
Store in air-tight container, leave baking paper on and wrap with Alfoil.

INGREDIENTS

250g PLAIN FLOUR
2 MEDIUM EGGS
1/4 TEASPOON BI-CARB SODA
2 DESSERT SPOONS FIG JAM
2 PK'S GLAZED CHERRIES ( USE REAL CHERRIES )
1/2 TEASPOON NUTMEG
1/2 TEASPOON MIXED SPICE
200g BROWN SUGAR
250g BUTTER
1 kg MIXED FRUIT
1/2 CUP OF BRANDY & 1/2 CUP OF MUSCAT ( OR SHERRY )

METHOD
Cut up cherries and put in large bowl with mixed fruit.
Add Sherry and put lid on bowl and shake well to cover all the fruit. Leave over night to soften the fruit.

Then cream the butter and sugar, add beaten eggs, one at a time beating well in between each egg. Add the fig jam to mixture.

Sift the flour, bi-carb and spices together into mix. Lastly add the fruit mixture and any of the Sherry in container, mix well by hand.

Using an 8 inch square cake tin, ( CAKE DOESN'T RISE MUCH ) line with several layers baking paper, use spray oil on paper to help it to stick to tin. Put 1/2 mixture into tin and push into corners with wooden spoon, add remaining mixture and smooth evenly over tin.
Using a spoon push a slight indent in the middle of cake.

Heat the oven to 210 degree as soon as you put the cake in drop it down to
140 degree. Cook for about 1 hour.
( This is the temp for my fan forced oven- your oven my be different).

Cook until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Leave until cooled before taking out of cake tin.

Wrap in tea towel over night to cool before storing in airtight container.