Don't over do it as you don't want the cake dripping with booze and highly flammable by December 25th!
Some people don't like alcohol in their cake. It is used mainly to keep the fruit plump and the cake moist but can be omitted if you bake your cake closer to Christmas. Soak the fruit in water or apple juice previously instead of brandy.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter (8 oz)
1/2 lb dark brown (muscovado) sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 large eggs, beaten
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cocoa
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 allspice
1/2 cup molasses/ or treacle
3/4 lb raisins
1/2 lb currants
1/2 lb mixed peel & cherries
1/2 lb nuts (blanched almonds)
1/4 cup flour [for dried fruit]
350 ml Brandy
Instructions:
Clean and stem fruit and soak in brandy for 3 days stirring occasionally*
*Alternately, use water and soak overnight
Prep 2 loaf pans with foil
Drain excess brandy from fruit mixture and let stand until most of the liquid is drained away;
[Spoon the fruit out of the soaking bowl and put into a sieve leaving the grit from the fruit at the bottom of the bowl]
Place fruit in large bowl
Add nuts and 1/4 cup of flour and mix well
Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy
Add honey to beaten eggs
Beat egg mixture into butter mixture
Combine and sift all remaining dry ingredients in another bowl
Add dry flour mixture to batter alternatively with molasses and fruit & nut mixture
Pour mixed batter into pans to 3/4 full
Bake @ 300ยบ F for 2 1/2 hours
When cool, wrap in extra foil and store in dry container, coating with 1 tblsp of brandy once per week leading up to Christmas.
This recipe doesn't involve the more English tradition of using marzipan icing, but it can be added if desired after the 'nursing' period is complete to your satisfaction.
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