Christmas cake

Christmas in sight, so I'm making the cake. Hearse what mine has developed to:

Christmas cake 2017

Ingredients

500g butter    500g dark brown sugar   6 eggs     3 tbs black treacle    560g self-raising flour

1 tsp cinnamon   2/3 tsp nutmeg powder   1 tsp allspice   1/2 tsp salt  

 1kg of miscellaneous fruit (might include: 250g raisins, 90g glace cherries, 120g ground almonds)

100 ml brandy  A lemon

Method

At an appropriate time: Coat a 23cm x 9cm round tin with butter, line the inside with grease proof paper and (depending on heating)  cartridge paper and / or newspaper outside.

Beat butter and sugar until light in colour, then beat in treacle. Beat in each egg, one at a time.

Mix and into another bowl:  self-raising flour, cinnamon, nutmeg powder, allspice, allspice & salt,        mix , sieve into the main bowl and mix.

Mix in the fruit.  If using glace cherries, cut them up (e.g. each one three time) and role them in flour to stop them sticking together. If also using ground almonds as well as Cherie, these are nice mixed with the almonds.

Add lemon juice with its zest and juice, plus brandy ad lib. Put in prepared tray.

Cook for about 4hrs (could have poke earlier Add lemon juice and zest.!)