It Nearly Didn't Happen....

Every year I make a Christmas cake.  I have been given commercial cakes in the past but none taste as good as a home made one.  In past years I have tried many different cakes including a pineapple one.  This one however, I have found to be an easy and fail proof one and the one I have made for the past five years.  It didn't come out of a fancy  tv  chefs recipe book but was ripped unceremoniously from a local newspaper.  I nearly didn't make one at all this year.  Christmas seems to have crept up on me a bit and I thought I was out of time but after an afternoon of binge baking, here it is....

Easy Peasy Christmas Cake

Mix in a saucepan and heat:
1 cup of water
1\2 lb butter
1kg mixed fruit
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp nutmeg
1\2 tsp each of ginger, cinnamon and mixed spices
Boil then add:
1 tsp baking soda
1 tin condensed milk
2 tsp of any essence
Cool then add:
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1\8 tsp salt

*Mix well

*Prepare a cake tin by covering with a sheet of baking paper.  Bake for two hours on 150 deg Celsius or until tested with a skewer.  Don't cook on fan bake as this can tend to dry a Christmas cake out.

*Before placing in the oven, sprinkle cold water over the top of the cake mixture to stop cracking.  When the cake is cold, prick with a fork and brush over with sherry or whiskey.

*Ice if desired...I intend to.  Bon appetite!

Please note:  definitely no sugar or eggs are needed in this recipe.

Side note:  I apologise for the back slashes in the recipe above.  My slash on my keyboard has decided to go on strike so while I wait for my new keyboard to arrive, I must improvise.