Christmas Eve Cake

Christmas Eve Cake

I called it Christmas eve cake as I made it on Christmas Eve to start eating on Christmas eve. It's an experimental mix of various recipes I have used plus a Madeiran touch. Mel-de-Cana is a thick syrup from dark sugar cane molasses made from the sugar cane grown on the island of Madeira. pictures here
Bolo de mel is a cake made on the island that includes Mel-de-Cana.

8 oz mixed dried fruit soaked in 1 glass Madeira wine with

2 tsp dried mixed spice

2oz pecans chopped

4 oz butter

2 oz Mel-de-Cana or black treacle

2 large eggs beaten

8oz self raising flour

Melt the butter and treacle together for about 30 secs in the microwave.

Add the fruit mixture and pecans and stir well.

It should be cool enough to add the eggs then stir again.

Add the flour and gently stir it in.

Put the mixture in a 7in sq or 8in round greased tin and bake in a low oven, mine was ready after 1 hour.

When cool dust with icing sugar.

I used a buttered fluted tin and put flaked almonds in the bottom.

Merry Christmas.