I thought this might help those who are trying to watch what they eat, make a lovely Christmas Cake for the coming season!

Points Per Serve - 4
Total Points - 146
Serves 36 Slices
240 Calories per slice

Christmas Cake

Ingredients

1kg mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas and currants)
100g glace cherries - halved
150ml brandy or dark rum
175g polyunsaturated margarine
175g unrefined light or dark muscovado sugar
4 eggs - beaten
finely grated zest and juice of 1 small orange
300g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 heaped tsp ground mixed spice

For the Almond Paste
225g ground almonds
50g golden caster sugar
50g golden icing sugar
1 large egg white - lightly beaten
2-3 drops lemon juice
2 tsp apricot jam or honey

For the Royal Icing
1 egg white
225g icing sugar

Method

Put the mixed dried fruit and cherries into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes, then drain really well. Add the brandy or rum, stir well and cover. Leave for three days, or overnight at least.

Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin with double thickness greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius.

In a very large bowl, beat together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then add the orange zest and juice.

Sift the flour, salt and spice together. Fold into the creamed mixute and using a metal spoon, then stire in the soaked dried fruit with any remaining brandy or rum, mixing thoroughly. Turn into the prepared tin and level the surface, making a slight depression in the middle.

Bake for approximately 2 1/2 hours. Check after 2 hours, covering the surface with double-thickness brown paper to prevent it from getting too brown. To test if cooked, pierce with a fine skewer. If it does not come out clean, cook for a little longer. Cool in the tin. Wrap in greaseproof paper, then store in an airtight tin.

To make the almond paste, mix together the almonds, caster sugar and all but 2 tsps of the icing sugar. Bind together with egg white and lemon juice.

Dust a worktop with icing sugar, then roll out the paste to a 20cm square. Brush the surface of the cake with jam or honey and cover with the almond paste.

Lightly beat the egg white, then gradually sift in the sugar using a nylon sieve, beating until the icing is smooth and glossy. Use to decorate the top of the cake.

Note - freezing is not recommended for this cake.