Fruit and nut cake for Christmas

Ingredients  

All-purpose flour/maida – 2 cups

Baking powder – 1 tsp.

Salt – ¼ tsp.

Unsalted butter – 1 cup /227 grams

Light brown sugar / white sugar – ½ cup

Dark brown sugar – ½ cup

Eggs – 3

Brandy or rum – 3 tbsp. plus extra for brushing the cake

Juice and zest of orange – 50 grams each

Lemon zest – 50 grams

Ground almonds – ¾ cup

Chopped nuts – 1 cup

raisins, sultanas, currants – 340 grams

Method 

Preheat the oven at 160 degrees C

Add the lemon and orange rind to rum/brandy and soak the dried fruits for at least 2 days.

Beat the sugars (light brown and brown) with a beater until they are light and fluffy. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the orange juice, fold in the ground almonds, chopped nuts & the soaked  fruits.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt & baking pdr & fold this into the cake batter.

Grease a pan with butter, and line the bottom and sides with butter paper.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

Reduce the oven temperature to 150 degrees C and continue to bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Insert a metal skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out moist, continue baking for a few more minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and wait for it to cool.

With a skewer, poke holes on the top surface of the cake and brush it with a little brandy.

Let is soak well, before you cut & serve.

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