Ingredients
- 125g (4 1/2oz) raisins
- 125g (4 1/2oz) currants
- 100g (4oz) glace cherries
- 65g (2 1/2oz) mixed citrus peel, chopped
- Grated zest 1 orange
- Grated zest 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp whisky
- 175g (6oz) butter at room temperature
- 175g (6oz) golden caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 175g (6oz) plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- 65g (2 1/2oz) ground almonds
- 100g (4oz ) whole blanched almonds
You will need
- a 20cm (8in) round, deep cake tin lined with baking parchment
Method
Place the dried fruits, peel and orange and lemon seats in a mixing bowl and pour over the whisky. cleave and leave for 1 hour for the fruit to plump up.
Preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2. Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and creamy with a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Beat the eggs, and add them gradually to the butter and beat well between each addition, adding a little flour if the mixture curdles.
Add the flour, baking powder, spice and ground almonds, then stir in the fruit and whisky .
Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and spread it level. Decorate the top with whole almonds. Bake for 1 1/4 hours checking after 45 minutess that it is not browning too much. If so, cover the top with a little baking parchment.
The cake is cooked when it is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out cleanly. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes then turn out and allow to cool .