Grease and line a 10 inch round cake tin with a double thickness of greaseproof paper. Wrap a double layer thickness of brown paper around the outside of the tin and secure with string. Make sure the paper is twice as high as the depth of the cake pan.Combine the raisins, currants, dates, prunes and almonds in a large bowl. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the lemon and or the black treacle. If the mixture looks like it is starting to curdle stir in a little flour. Mix together the flour, salt and spices. Fold the flour mixture and the fruit mixture into the batter mixture a little at a time alternating between the flour and fruit mixtures. Stir in the sherry and ensure everything is well blended.

Traditionally all the members of the family take turns in stirring the cake and each makes a wish while doing so.

Put the mixture into the cake tin being careful not to create any air holes and remembering to smooth the top surface before placing the cake in the oven.

Bake in the oven at 300F for 1 hour and then reduce the heat to 275F and cook for a further 4 hours. If the top starts to overbrown then cover with greaseproof paper.

When you remove the cake from the oven leave it in the cake tin and allow to cool overnight - the cake can stay warm for up to 24 hrs. When cool remove from the tin and wrap in a double layer of aluminium foil until it is decorated. Occasionally unwrapping and treating with sherry or an alcohol of your choosing can ensure a moist flavourful cake but be careful not to overdo this and create a soggy cake! The cake will improve with keeping.

Decoration

The traditional method of decorating a Christmas cake is with almond paste or marzipan and icing. You will need about 2 lb of marzipan to cover the cake.

Place the cake on the cake plate on which it will be presented.

Roll the marzipan out as thinly as possible and cover the top and sides of the cake. A thin layer of strawberry jam spread over the cake will help to 'glue' the marzipan to the cake.

To make the Royal Icing sift 12 oz. of icing sugar (confectioner's sugar for Americans) into a bowl. Beat two egg whites then fold them into the sugar. Add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Brush the marzipan with a little egg white to help the icing stick to the cake then add the icing in a thin layer. The icing can be thickened if necessary with additional icing sugar.

A flat metal spatulla dipped in hot water will help to spread the icing but in general best results are obtained if the icing is 'worked' as little as possible.

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
1) 1 cup margarine, softened
2) 2 cups sugar
3) 3 eggs
4) 1 teaspoon each vanilla and salt
5) 2 teaspoons baking soda
6) 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
7) 2 1/2 cups flour
8) 2 cups buttermilk or sour milk

Preparation
1. In a big bowl put the softened margarine (you can soften it in the microwave if you like) and the sugar into a large mixing bowl.

2. Using electric beaters, beat them together until they are light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs. Beat the eggs in, all at once. Continue beating the mixture until it is satiny smooth and emulsified.

4. Add the salt, vanilla, baking soda and cocoa. Beat again, until the cocoa is well mixed into the batter, making it chocolaty and fragrant.

5. Then put the flour and the buttermilk or sour milk into the bowl.

6. If you only have fresh milk, you can sour it with a little vinegar. Probably a tablespoon would be enough. Do it like this, put a tablespoon of vinegar into a two cup measure. Add enough milk to reach the two cup line. Allow the milk to set for a few moments, until you see it curdle.

7. Now the milk is ready to use.

8. Beat the flour and milk into the batter for about two full minutes, getting out all of the lumps.

9. Turn the batter into a well oiled 9" by 13" rectangular pan, or two 9" round pans, or three 8" round pans.

10. Bake the cake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes in the large pan, and 35 to 40 minutes in the smaller pans. When the edges pull away from the sides of the pan, and the center springs back when you touch it gently, it is done.

11. Remove from the oven and allow cooling for a long time. When the cake is all the way cool, you can frost using any of our frosting types- vanilla or chocolate!

Ingredients
1) 3 cups of dry fruit (choose from raisins, dates, dry apricots, dry pineapple, dry apples, whatever you have available)
2) 3 cups of chopped nuts (choose from walnuts, almonds, pecans, whatever is most abundant to you)
3) 2 pounds mixed candied fruit for fruit cake (this is the cheapest way to buy fruit for fruit cake, in the large 2 pound tub, all mixed together)
4) 1 cup margarine (2 sticks)
5) 1 cup sugar
6) 1 cup brown sugar
7) 4 medium eggs
8) 1 cup fruit juice (or the syrup from canned fruit or even kool-aid)
9) 1 teaspoon baking powder
10) 1 teaspoon cinnamon
11) 1/2 teaspoon allspice
12) 3/4 teaspoon salt
13) 3 cups flour

Preparation
1. First measure and prepare all of the fruit.

2. The regular dry fruit must be soaked first.

3. Put your raisins and whatever other dry fruit you are using, into a bowl.

4. Cover them with hot tap water and set aside. This keeps the fruit moist while it bakes. Do not omit this step to save time. Attempting to use the raisins without soaking first, they do not turn out good at all. So always soak the regular dry fruit before using it. The candied fruit does not need soaking.

5. Chop up your nuts, use any kind you like.

6. Then in a very big bowl combine the margarine, brown sugar, white sugar and eggs. Mix it all up very well.

7. Add the fruit juice or syrup. Mix again, until it is nice and smooth.

8. Now measure in the baking powder, spices and salt.

9. Add the flour, and stir it up really good. The batter will be quite thick. Be careful as you stir, to get all of the corners of the bowl, so everything is mixed in nicely.

10. Next dump in the nuts and the candied fruit. Get the regular dry fruit, which is soaking, and drain it very well.

11. Add the drained fruit to the batter along with the nuts and candied fruit.

12. A big wooden spoon works best for this task. Stir and stir some more. Get all of the fruit and nuts evenly distributed throughout the batter.

13. Now generously grease four 8" by 4" loaf pans with solid shortening because it makes the finished cake easier to remove. Turn the batter into the four loaf pans, filling them equally full.

14. Spread the batter to the corners of the pan, because it is so thick it will not run there by itself, like regular cake batter.

15. Bake the loaves at 275 degrees F for 2 1/2 hours. When you stick a butter knife into the center of one of the cakes, it should come out clean.

16. The cakes will rise a little bit, but not too much. Allow the cakes to cool completely before trying to remove them from the pans. This is important.

17. If you try to remove them while they are still hot, they will not come out as whole cakes. Instead they will come out as hot fruit cake crumbs.

18. After they have been removed, double wrap them, first in plastic wrap and then in tin foil. These freeze very well. They make excellent gifts to folks who like fruit cake.

Chocolate frosting
1) 1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)
2) 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
3) 1 teaspoon vanilla
4) 4 or 5 tablespoons milk
5) 4 cups powdered sugar
6) Good dash salt

1. Soften or melt the margarine first. You can melt it in the microwave that being the easiest way.

2. Add the cocoa, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons milk.

3. Using electric beaters or a whisk, beat these ingredients together until they are good and smooth.

4. Add the powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, and continue beating the frosting.

5. After you have added all four cups of powdered sugar, you may need a little more milk to give the frosting spreading consistency. If you think you need more milk, add it a teaspoon at a time. If too much milk is added, you will end up with runny frosting. Fix this by adding more unsweetened cocoa, or more powdered sugar, or both.

6. If desired you may replace the milk with strong coffee and end up with a very tasty grown up mocha flavor.

7. Your Chocolate frosting is ready to decorate your cake now!!!

Vanilla Frosting
1) 1/4 cup soft or melted margarine
2) Good dash salt
3) 1 teaspoon vanilla
4) 2 tablespoons milk
5) 2 cups powdered sugar

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine all of the ingredients.

2. Mix and mix until all is smooth.

3. Your Vanilla frosting is ready for decorating your cake!!!