We know what you're thinking, "put down the tinsel and step away, its OCTOBER... Christmas is aaaages away!" and this is true - unless you're a Christmas cake!

To create the bold, rich, fruity taste we all love, the perfect Christmas cake takes time, and the end of October is the perfect time to start!

Our very own Lex has perfected the art of the Christmas cake and has been kind enough to share her recipe with us - give it a go and let us know what you think!

Ingredients:

• 1kg packet of fruit mix (you can macerate this in alcohol for a week prior to baking if you like to give it more flavour, however this isn’t essential)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tbsp of golden syrup
• 2 heaped tsp of mixed spice
• 125g of butter
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Brandy (or other desired alcohol for feeding)

Method:

1. Place fruit mix, sugar, water, golden syrup, mixed spice, butter and baking soda into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Once it has come to the boil, turn off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Preheat your oven to 150°C
4. Once cooled add in the eggs, flour, baking powder, ginger and vanilla and stir to combine.
5. Place mixture into a lined 20cm cake tin and bake for approximately 1.5 hours. (if you’re using a wooden cake tin then you will need to cook for approximately 2 hours 45 mins)
6. Once out of the oven, allow to cool completely and then prick the surface of the cake and “feed” with desired alcohol (we recommend brandy) To do this, measure out 1-2 tablespoons of alcohol and brush it gently over the cake.
7. Wrap the cake securely with 2 layers of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.
8. Continue to feed the cake with alcohol once a week until it’s ready to be gifted or enjoyed with friends and family!