Hi Carmen,

You are organised!

Here is an eay one that I use every year. The only problem with this is I am not sure how long you can store it for? I guess wrapped up an foil in an airtight tin it would last maybe 3 months?


Easy Christmas Cake

3 eggs
400g fruit mince (out of the jar)
170g caster sugar
375g mixed dried fruit
125g chopped walnuts
310g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup brandy

~ Preheat oven to 150`c
~ Grease a 23cm cake tin and line the sides and the base of the tin with 3 layers of baking paper
~ In a large bowl, beat together the eggs & milk
~ Then add the fruit mince, the sugar, the mixed fruit and the walnuts, and stir well until combined
~ Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix well
~ Spoon the cake mixture into the tin and bake for approx 2 hours 15 mins (test with a skewer...if the skewer comes out clean, then it is cooked)
~ Remove from oven and pour the brandy over the top of the warm cake
~ Leave to cool/allow the brandy to fully soak in whilst the cake is still in the tin
~ Wrap a few layers of tin foil and store

A few days before Christmas (optional)

~ Heat 2 tablespoons apricot jam and 2 tabslespoons of water together in a small pan, stirring until melted and combined
~ Strain through a fine sieve and brush the glaze over the cake.
~ After an hour or so, the cake is ready to ice with firstly a layer of marzipan and then a layer of royal icing.