Christmas cake

Instructions

1- Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.

2- Line the base and sides of a 20 cm round, 7.

3- 5 cm deep cake tin.

4- Beat the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer for 1-2 mins until very creamy and pale in colour, scraping down the sides of the bowl half way through.

5- Stir in a spoonful of the flour, then stir in the beaten egg and the rest of the flour alternately, a quarter at a time, beating well each time with a wooden spoon.

6- Stir in the almonds.

7- Mix in the sherry (the mix will look curdled), then add the peel, cherries, raisins, cherries, nuts, lemon zest, spice, rosewater and vanilla.

8- Beat together to mix, then stir in the baking powder.

9- Spoon mixture into the tin and smooth the top, making a slight dip in the centre.

10- Bake for 30 mins, then lower temperature to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2 and bake a further 2-2¼ hrs, until a skewer insterted in the middle comes out clean.

11- Leave to cool in the tin, then take out of the tin and peel off the lining paper.

12- When completely cold, wrap well in cling film and foil to store until ready to decorate.

13- The cake will keep for several months.