My Last Minute Christmas Cake — Belinda Jeffery

Ingredients

• Makes 1 large or 3 med/small cakes
• 300g unsalted butter
• 420g dark brown sugar
• 1.2kg mixed #dried fruits (I use fruits such as raisins, pitted prunes and dates, sultanas, currants and lovely smoky sun-dried apricots)
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 1 cup (250ml) dark rum, port or muscat
• 1/2 cup (125ml) water
• 1/2 cup (125ml) cognac
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 heaped teaspoons cinnamon
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 1/2 cups (400g) stone-ground wholemeal plain flour
• About 150g pecan halves and 120g whole blanched almonds, for decorating
• Apricot glaze, optional (see below)
• * As far as the dried fruit goes; I tend to use whatever happens to be in the pantry at the time – as long as the quantity is roughly the same the cake will be delicious.