My Mum's Christmas Cake

Instructions for cooking much quicker boiled fruit cake given below also. Mum used to make a boiled fruit cake often, sometimes with drained crushed pineapple in the mixture.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 40 mins
• Yields: 1 Christmas cake

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups currants, 250g
• 1 1⁄2 cups sultanas, 250g
• 1 1⁄2 cups raisins, 250g
• 60  g  glace cherries, halved
• 1  cup butter (250g)
• 1  cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1⁄2 cup water, hot
• 1  teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1  teaspoon nutmeg
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 4  eggs, beaten
• 250  g plain flour
• 1⁄2 cup rum, maybe little more
• 1⁄2 cup  almonds, blanched to decorate

Directions

1. CHRISTMAS CAKE:
2. Beat sugar & butter very well; mix in all fruit (soaked in rum overnight), carb soda and spice.
3. Add eggs and then fold in flour, then add water.
4. Spoon mixture cake tin lined with 2 thicknesses each of brown and greased greaseproof paper; arrange extra almonds around top - brown paper on top of cake while it is cooking will stop it scorching.
5. Cook 3 hrs 150degC (300degF), lower for fan forced - check cake with skewer or knife if it comes out clean it is cooked.
6. BOILED FRUIT CAKE:
7. Soak fruit with rum overnight.
8. Then boil everything together, other than eggs and flour; now add eggs and fold in flour.
9. Cook at 150oC (300degF), for 2 1/2 hours.
10. NB: Check both types of cakes after 2 hours.