I doubt you will find a better Christmas cake recipe than this one.
It is based on one given in the Melbourne Age in 1982 by Beverley Sutherland Smith. She described it as the style of traditional cake which people expect to see on the table at Christmas time: rich, full of fruit and very moist.
It is rather like a pudding. In fact it caused a temporary hitch in family relations when I was foolish enough to tell my mother, Olive, that I had found a Christmas cake that was better than her pudding!
Marinating the fruit: Overnight or for a day or two.
The dough mixture will be dense and heavy once the flour, eggs, etc are combined with the fruit.
Because fruit cakes are so dense and the transfer of heat to the centre so slow it is important to prepare the cake tin well and to cook the cake very slowly.
Just from the oven.
Marinating with the brandy is important. The cake keeps well for months but also freezes well.
Don’t be put off by the number of ingredients. The result is truly worth it.
For the recipe, click here: Traditional Christmas Cake.