Root2Ginger Jamaican Spiced Christmas Cake

·       600g/mixed fruits

·       200g glacé cherries

·       200ml rum/port , plus extra for feeding

·       2 oranges, zest only

·       250g butter, softened

·       250g raw cane sugar

·       4 large free-range eggs

·        2 tbsp black treacle

·       75g flaked almonds,

·       275g plain flour

·       ½ tsp grated nutmeg

Method

1. For the cake, place all the dried fruit, including the cherries and orange zest into a large glass jar with 200ml alcohol and 150ml Root2Ginger Spiced for a few weeks. If you forget you can speed up this process by warming them in a pan or in the microwave.

2. Grease and line a 23cm/9in deep, round tin with a double layer of greased greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1.

3. Measure the butter, sugar, eggs, treacle into a large bowl and mix gently, add the flaked almonds.  Sift the flour into and fold thoroughly until blended. Stir in the soaked fruit. Spoon into the prepared cake tin and level the surface.

4. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 3 ½ hours, or until the cake feels firm to the touch and is a rich golden brown. Check after two hours, and if the cake is a perfect colour, cover with foil. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.

5. When cool, pierce the cake at intervals with a fine skewer and feed with a little extra rum! Again and again!

6. Decorate as you like marzipan, icing, apricot jam and nuts the choice is yours.

R2G Spiced

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