225g / 8oz Butter
112g / 40z Soft Brown Sugar
112g / 4oz Dark Brown Sugar
1tbsp Treacle
285g / 10oz Plain Flour
5 Large Eggs
150ml Brandy or Sherry
1/2 tsp Mixed Spice
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
Boozy Fruit (previously prepared)
Method
1. Pre-heat your oven to 140C / 120C Fan / Gas Mark 1
2. Next line your tin using baking paper (I'm using a square tin so that I can cut the cake in half to make two smaller rectangular cakes, but you can use a round tin if you prefer). Then wrap a thick layer of newspaper around the outside of the tin and secure well with string. (This is to protect the cake so that the edges don't burn in the oven, as it has to cook for quite a long time).
3. Cream the butter and sugars together well, until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the treacle and beat until combined with the butter and sugar mixture.
5. Beat the eggs and add to the creamed mix a little at a time. Keep the whisk running until all the egg is incorporated. (If the mixture looks like it is going to curdle at any point, add a half a tbsp of flour while whisking.)
6. Remove the whisk and put it to one side, then sift the flour and spices over the mix, then fold until fully incorporated.
7. Add the boozy fruit that you have already prepared and mix until evenly distributed throughout the cake mixture.
8. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and level out with a knife or spatula. Cut out 2 squares of greaseproof paper to the same size as the tin, and cut a hole in the centre of the squares (about the size of a 2p coin). Place the squares over the cake mixture. (This will protect the top of the cake from burning, while the central hole allows air to escape, and the cake to colour evenly.)
9. Bake on the lowest shelf in the oven for 4 1/2 - 4 3/4 hours. After this time, check the cake is done by inserting a skewer in the centre of the cake (through the greaseproof paper whole) - if it is cooked enough, the skewer will come out clean. If the skewer still has cake mix on it, put the cake back in for another 10 minutes and then check again. (It is far better to give the cake extra time in small quantities, as you don't want to over cook it after all of the time you have spent prepping!!)
10. Once the cake is done, remove from the oven and cool in the cake tin for half an hour on a wire rack. Then remove the cake from the tin, making sure to only remove the paper from the sides of the cake, and not the base (as you will need this later!) and place onto the wire rack to finish cooling.
11. Once the cake is completely cooled, lay out 2 long pieces of foil (each about 3 times the length of your cake) across each other in the shape of a 'plus' sign. Then do the same with 2 pieces of baking paper. Lay the cake in the centre of the foil/baking paper (over the part where they criss cross over one another).
12. With a skewer, pierce approximately 30-40 holes into the cake, making sure not to go all the way down to the bottom of the cake as you don't want all the alcohol you are feeding it to drip out of the bottom! (I usually find that piercing holes to 3/4 of the cake's depth is plenty)
13. Put a cap full of brandy into a small cup, and using a pastry brush, feed the liquid across the top of the cake until you use up all of the liquid. (Don't worry if the top looks very wet - the residual alcohol will seep down the holes that you created, making a wonderfully boozy and moist cake - yum yum!)
14. Gather up the strips of foil and baking paper, one side at a time, and fold each side over the cake until it is completely covered and there are no air holes. Transfer to a tin big enough to hold your bundle of cake - I usually use an old biscuit tin from last Christmas, but you can use anything that fits, as long as it is air tight.
15. Put the cake into a cool(ish) cupboard, and bring out once a week to 'feed' with some more brandy, using the same technique as in step 13. You want to 'feed' your cake for a minimum of 4 weeks up to Christmas to get the best flavour and texture. (If you are running short of time and don't have 4 weeks, just be sure to 'feed' your cake twice a week instead of once, and this should achieve the same result, although the flavours may not be quite as developed)
16. Now your cake is ready to be decorated, which can be as simple or complex as you like!
