Sherry Dundee Cake

Time

Approx 2 hours (30 mins prep, approx 90 mins bake). 

Ingredients

- 180g unsalted butter, softened and cubed

- 180g light brown muscovado sugar

- x3 large eggs 

- 220g self-raising flour

- 30g ground almonds 

- x1 teaspoon of mixed spice

- 400g dried fruit

- 4 tablespoons sherry

- 40g blanched almonds for decoration 

- x1 teaspoon caster sugar for decoration

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 140 degrees fan / 160 degrees conventional / gas mark 2. Grease and line one 8-inch loose-based cake tin with butter and brown parchment paper. 

2. Beat the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy, this should take around 4-5 mins. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. 

3. Add the flour, almonds and the mixed spice to the mix. After adding and mixing well, add all the dried fruit and combine all the elements together well. Finally, add the sherry, and again mix this all in until everything is smooth and really well-combined. 

4. Spoon the mixture into your cake tin, and then level off the top so it is completely flat and level. Arrange your blanched almonds on top in any way you like.

5. Bake for approximately 90 mins, or until golden-brown. This may take up to 2 hours, so allocate yourself a little free time for this just in case. When it is golden brown, to test if it is ready, insert a skewer into the centre - if it comes out clear, your Sherry Dundee Cake is ready! 

6. Leave to cool for up to 15 mins, then sprinkle with your caster sugar. Once cooled, remove from the tin and wrap thoroughly and tightly in two layers of brown parchment paper, tie up as if it were a lovely Christmas present, and place in a cool, dark place for 7-10 days. 

- This helps all the flavours to develop and will result in a much more richer, festive, sumptuous cake! I've done this twice, and admittedly the first time, I was a little unsure about leaving it for so long (in case it went off!), but allow me to remove any of your doubts - the paper will keep it fresh! Alternatively, you can just eat it within 3-5 days aka bake it around Dec 23/24. The 10-day option I think is great because we're all so busy in the run-up to Xmas, so if you have a little more free time around Dec 15-20 as opposed to Xmas week, this gives you the opportunity to bake a fabulously festive cake that will still be fresh and delicious after 10 days to present to your loved ones!  

Buon natale! J xx