Christmas fruit cake

Preheat the oven to 150 ºC.
Grease the cake pan well and line it with baking paper or greaseproof paper. Add a brown paper collar, if using.

Combine the fruit, butter, sugar, mixed spice, 7 ml bicarbonate of soda and brandy in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Simmer gently over moderate heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Cool.

Beat the eggs until frothy in a large mixing bowl. Add the sherry and milk and whisk with the eggs.

Sift the flour and remaining bicarbonate of soda together into a large mixing bowl and add the chopped nuts.

Add the cooled fruit mixture and the egg mixture to the flour and nuts and mix through evenly.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan, to three quarters full.

Bake the cake for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours.

Test to see if the cake is done: insert a thin metal skewer into the centre of the cake then remove it. If the cake is done, it will come out clean with no trace of stickiness.

If ready, remove the cake from the oven, place a plate on top and cool it on a wire rack for a few minutes. Remove the plate and the pan, shaking it loose carefully, then peel the lining paper off the bottom of the cake. Sprinkle the cake generously with extra brandy.

When the cake is cool, turn it right side up and decorate it with whole almonds and glacé cherries, as shown in the photograph.