The winning recipe from this years Wasteless Pantry Bake Off….

Old-fashioned Christmas Cake

Ingredients:

510g          sultanas

265g          raisins

155g          currants

150g          pitted dates (chopped)

100g          glace cherries (chopped)

75g   dried cranberries

75g   dried pineapple

50g   mixed peel

185ml brandy

2 tsp          finely grated orange rind

250g          softened butter

200g brown sugar

4       eggs

300g          plain flour

2 tsp mixed spice

 

* Blanched almonds & cherries to decorate

* 2 tbsp brandy to drizzle

 

Method:

Combine fruit and brandy in large bowl, cover with a lid and set aside for 2 days to macerate.

Grease a 22cm cake pan and line base with a reusable tray liner or grease a spring form cake pan.

Beat butter & sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well until combined. Stir butter & fruit mixtures together. Add flour & mixed spice. Spoon into pan and tap lightly on benchtop to release any air bubbles, arrange almonds and cherries on top.

Bake at 150C covered with a bigger cake tin for 2 hours 30 mins to 3 hours. Drizzle hot cake with extra brandy. Cool thoroughly before turning out.

[Store in an airtight dark container for up to 3 months].

Recipe is adapted from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/2102/christmas+cake