Traditional Christmas Cake

I am giving this as a gift, this festive season,

Start by making a traditional fruit cake:

1 kg mixed fruit
1 cup glace cherries
1/2 cup brandy
250g butter
1 cup brown sugar
5 eggs
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
extra brandy for brushing

Soak fruit in brandy
Meanwhile, cream butter and sugar until just combined.
Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Stir in fruit mix, flour, spice.

Spread mixture into deep round tin, which has been greased & lined with 2 layers of paper
Cook in slow oven for about 2.5 hours.

Remove from oven, brush with extra brandy, tightly cover with foil, cool in tin overnight.

To ice I used 1/2 kg of white fondant, some red fondant, and, cake decorating gold paint.
 Roll out white fondant to 0.3cm thick, flip cake over (so you are icing the bottom), carefully lay icing over the top. Cut off excess icing (use this to make white stars to be painted gold)
A ribbon is a nice touch to place around the rim.

Decorate with red & gold stars.

lv L