Rich Christmas Cake with Brown Sugar

Ingredients

Serves 10

1.5kg mixed dried fruit
250g glacé cherries, red and green
100g mixed peel
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1/2 cup brandy or dark rum
500g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups CSR Brown Sugar
8 eggs
2 bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
4 cups plain flour
1 cup self-raising flour
Almonds to decorate (optional)

Method

1. Place the dried fruit, cherries, mixed peel, orange rind, lemon rind and brandy (or rum) in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and leave overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 150°C conventional.
3. Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the bananas and vanilla essence. Stir the fruit mixture into this and mix well. Add the flours and mix until well combined.
4. Place in a deep 25cm cake tin that has been lined with baking paper.  Wrap the base and sides of the tin in four or five sheets of newspaper tied around with string. If you wish, decorate with almonds.
5. Bake for about 3 ½ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.