Baking my cake.

Ingredients for Christmas cake

 Add to the dried fruit the zest and juice of 1 lemon and 3 large oranges

Leave over night, at this point everywhere smells of citrus, including the dishwasher and the bin, I love the smell. I always roll the orange/lemon on the counter top before draining the juice, this breaks the flesh inside making the juice flow easier and you get more juice. 

 I have shown this before, it is a typed Cake recipe, which must be over 20 years old, I have made this every year, I use the juice of the oranges and lemon rather than the orange juice in the recipe. The juice stays in the fruit as the cake is cooking. I do not add almonds, so I put extra dried fruit in, also note I have not added the cherries, these are cut into quarters and are tossed into the flour , keeping them from sticking together. 

Once the cake is baked, I turn the oven off and leave the cake inside until the cake is cool, I think the slowing of the cooling process helps keep the cake moist. This is another time when the house is full of the smell of spices, gently infusing with us and bringing on the Christmas mood and spirit.

I have said before I am no domestic goddess, but I do like to make a cake for Christmas each year, this year I have baked two, this week I am going to a small class to learn about make cake decorations, my youngest daughter is coming with me, so the second cake if for her. Plus if she and her hubby have their own cake, they won't eat too much of ours. I made both cakes a bit smaller than normal, so I had enough mix for 6 muffin size cakes from each batch. Daughter, SIL, hubby and I each enjoyed one with our afternoon drink.
These cakes have been baked much later than normal, but I only brush with brandy once, it won't matter. I am really feeling in the mood for Christmas.
Thank you for all your understanding comments, after a good night's sleep, I am feeling much better, my shoulder has settled back down and I feel good again. I won't pick up my knitting yet, but I am loving my ripple blanket, my 2nd yarn order should arrive on Monday, so once again I have a huge pile of yarn, which every time I look at it I have a huge smile.