This cake is delicious and full of flavour for everyone to enjoy at Christmas.

Ingredients

• 250 grams butter, softened
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup brandy or sherry
• grated rind and juice 1 orange
• grated rind and juice 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon almond essence
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 600 grams ground almonds
• 500 grams raisins
• 250 grams currants
• 250 grams sultanas
• 125 grams mixed peel
• 125 grams glace cherries, chopped

Topping

• nuts and glace fruits, optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C. Set the oven rack just below the centre. Grease the base and sides of a 20cm square cake tin well. Line the base and sides with two layers of brown or baking paper. Wrap the outside of the cake tin in several layers of newspaper.
2. Beat the butter, sugar and honey together until the mixture is very light and creamy. Beat in the egg a little at a time; do not rush or the mixture will split. Stir together the brandy or sherry, essences, baking soda and orange and lemon rind and juices.
3. Into the creamed mixture stir in the ground almonds and dried and glace fruits with the brandy or sherry mix. Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake tin. Decorate the top with nuts and or glace fruit if wished.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 3½ - 4 hours, or until a cake skewer inserted comes out clean. If the almonds begin to brown too much, cover with a piece of baking paper. Remove from the oven, cover with a light, clean tea-towel and set aside until completely cold before lifting the cake out of the cake tin so as not to disturb the almonds on top from the cake.