Today I’m sharing my much-requested and very special Amazing Christmas Cake recipe. This cake’s history dates back to World War II when eggs were hard to come by, so it is interestingly egg-free. I go back to this cake time and time again because it has such amazing flavour and texture. It cuts well, even when freshly made, so it’s also a good one to make last-minute if you didn’t get around to making a traditional cake in October!

Makes 1 deep 20cm round cake

225 g butter, cubed
1 cup hot water
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
1 kg dried fruit (I like an even mix of currants, raisins and sultanas)
395 g can sweetened condensed milk
1 level tsp baking soda
¼ cup dry sherry (or whisky, rum or brandy, as preferred)
1 tsp vanilla extract
300g (2¼ cups) self-raising flour, sifted
Whole natural almonds, to decorate
Brandy, rum or whisky, to feed (optional)

Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-bake). Line the base and sides of a deep-sided 20-cm round cake tin with two layers of non-stick baking paper – make sure the paper is higher than the sides of the cake tin, as the cake will rise higher than the top of the cake tin.
Place butter, hot water, vinegar, cinnamon, mixed spice and dried fruit into a large saucepan and bring just to the boil, stirring regularly until butter melts.
Remove from the heat and stir in condensed milk and baking soda (expect the mixture to foam). Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Add sherry and vanilla to the cooled fruit mixture and stir in the flour. Spread the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Arrange almonds on top, pressing them in lightly.
Bake for 2 hours 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and leave to cool completely before removing from the tin.

To store, wrap tightly in a double layer of greaseproof paper (not plastic wrap as this can make the cake sweat and go mouldy). Store in a cool place. ‘Feed’ the cake at intervals (about once a week) by poking the cake all over with a skewer, then drizzling with a little brandy, rum or whisky so that it soaks in through the holes and permeates the cake with flavour.