Mum's Christmas Cake

1. Wash the currants, sultanas and raisins and let them dry thoroughly.
2. Cut the cherries in four.
3. Blanch the almonds if necessary (cover with cold water, bring to the boil, drain, remove skins) and chop finely.
4. Mix the prepared fruit, almonds, peel and lemon rind together in a mixing bowl and pour over the brandy. Leave covered overnight.
5. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the treacle.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each in thoroughly and adding a little of the sieved flour with every egg after the first.
7. Fold in the remaining flour along with the ground nutmeg, mixed spice, ground almonds and the prepared fruit (half at a time, gently and thoroughly, until well mixed).
8. Put in the prepared cake tin and smooth the top with the back of a wet spoon.
9. Wrap well with paper and bake in the pre-heated oven until firm to touch: a minimum of 3 hours. Test regularly with a skewer after 3 hours, until it comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven. Leave in tin for 10 minutes.
11. Turn out, remove paper and cool on wire tray.

Tin sizes

The quantities above are for an 8" (20cm) round tin, which serves 16. For a bigger tin, change the servings and the amounts scale with it: