![](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.ok.co.uk\/incoming\/article31649066.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/121_Christmas_cake_V2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nChristmas is a time for delicious food, drink and laughter with family and friends. Some people also have their own traditions that they honour every year without fail, like making a Christmas cake.<\/p>\n
If you want to make your own but you don't know where to start, follow Mary Berry's classic recipe below that we have picked for you to try. <\/p>\n
We promise it's really tasty and you can enjoy it with a dollop of cream or ice cream if you fancy being extra indulgent… <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ingredients<\/b><\/p>\n
115g red or natural glac\u00e9 cherries, quartered<\/p>\n
115g ready-to-eat dried apricots, snipped into pieces<\/p>\n
275g currants<\/p>\n
175g sultanas<\/p>\n
175g raisins<\/p>\n
55g candied peel, finely chopped<\/p>\n
3 tbsp brandy<\/p>\n
225g plain flour<\/p>\n
\u00bc level tsp freshly grated nutmeg<\/p>\n
\u00bd level tsp ground mixed spice<\/p>\n
225g butter, softened<\/p>\n
225g dark muscovado sugar<\/p>\n
4 large eggs<\/p>\n
55g chopped almonds (scant)<\/p>\n
1 tbsp black treacle<\/p>\n
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon<\/p>\n
Finely grated zest of 1 orange<\/p>\n
To finish<\/b><\/p>\n
Brandy, to feed the cake<\/p>\n
675g almond paste or marzipan<\/p>\n
To decorate<\/b><\/p>\n
675g fondant or ready-to-roll icing<\/p>\n
Almond paste (leftover from putting over the cake)<\/p>\n
Green food colouring<\/p>\n
Icing sugar, sifted<\/p>\n
Ribbon (or your favourite decorations)<\/p>\n
Method<\/b><\/p>\n
\u25a0 Begin this cake the night before you bake it. Place the cherries in a sieve and rinse. Drain and dry thoroughly.<\/p>\n
\u25a0 Measure all the fruits and chopped peel into a large bowl. Mix in the brandy, cover and leave in a cool place overnight.<\/p>\n
\u25a0 Preheat the oven to 140\u00b0C\/ 120\u00b0C fan\/gas mark 1. Grease a 20cm deep round cake tin, then line the base and sides with a double layer of baking paper.<\/p>\n
\u25a0 Measure the flour, spices, butter, sugar, eggs, almonds, treacle and lemon and orange zests into a bowl. Beat well, then fold in the soaked fruits.<\/p>\n
\u25a0 Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread out evenly. Cover the top of the cake loosely with a double layer of baking paper. Bake in the oven for about 4\u00bd-4\u00be hours, or until the cake feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.<\/p>\n
\u25a0 Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When cool, pierce the cake at intervals with a skewer and feed with a little brandy. Wrap the completely cold cake in a double layer of baking paper, and again in foil, and store in a cool place, feeding at intervals with more brandy. Don\u2019t remove the lining paper when storing as this helps to keep the cake moist.<\/p>\n
\u25a0 Cover the cake with almond paste or marzipan about a week before icing.<\/p>\n
\u25a0 Then it\u2019s time to ice the cake with fondant or ready-to-roll icing. Colour the almond paste (left over from putting the almond paste on the cake) dark green.<\/p>\n
\u25a0 Roll out and cut into 2.5cm wide strips. Cut into diamonds then, with the base of an icing nozzle, remove half circles from the sides of the diamonds to give holly-shaped leaves. Make vein marks on the leaves with a knife, bend the leaves over the handles of wooden spoons, leave to dry.<\/p>\n
\u25a0 Decorate the cake with the holly leaves, dust with icing sugar and tie a ribbon around the sides of the cake.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.ok.co.uk\/incoming\/article31649109.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Baking-Bible-cover.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Extracted from Mary Berry\u2019s Baking Bible by Mary Berry (BBC Books, \u00a328). Photography: Ant Duncan<\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n