Honey saffron Christmas cake

• butter↗225g g

  softened, plus extra for greasing

• brandy↗2 tbsp tbsp
• saffron↗pinch

  (about 1⁄4tsp strands)

• golden caster sugar↗225g g
• eggs↗4
• plain flour↗225g g
• ground almond↗50g g
• baking powder↗1 tsp tsp
• raisin↗300g g
• sultana↗300g g
• natural-coloured glacé cherry↗100g g

  halved

• mixed peel↗85g g
• whole blanched almond↗50g g

  roughly chopped

• whole blanched hazelnut↗50g g

  roughly chopped

• walnut↗50g g

  pieces

• brandy↗3 tbsp
• honey↗2 tbsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line a round, deep 20cm cake tin with two layers of baking parchment (see Knowhow, below). Tie a few sheets of newspaper around the outside of the tin, level with the top of the baking parchment.

2. 2

   Heat the brandy in a small pan, then add the saffron and leave to infuse off the heat for a few mins. Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl, then beat together until creamy and smooth. Mix the fruit, nuts and brandy saffron mix into the batter and stir well.

3. 3

   Spoon into the prepared tin, smooth the top and make a slight dip in the middle. Bake for 1½ hrs, then cover loosely with foil to stop the top over-browning. Turn oven down to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1 and cook for 1 hr more until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin then, while it’s still warm, prod the cake all over with a skewer.

4. 4

   Mix the brandy and honey together and spoon over the cake. Wrap up well in foil and keep in an airtight container until Christmas, feeding with more honeyed brandy every so often.