Sufra Dayma

Melt 'N' Mix Christmas Cake

By Moushira Abdel-Malek

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Ingredients:

5 cups (1kg) mixed dried fruit
1/4 cup slivered almonds (toasted)
1/4 cup sweet sherry or sweet red wine (Abarka)
1 1/4 cups (250gms) firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs beaten lightly
3 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp mixed spice (ground cinnamon + nutmeg + ginger)

Method:

Grease deep 19cm square cake pan. Cover base and sides with 3 layers of baking paper, bringing paper 5cms above edge of pan. Combine fruit, nuts, sherry and sugar in large bowl. Combine butter and milk in small pan. Stir over heat, without boiling, until butter melts. Add butter mixture. Mix well. Spread mixed into prepared pan. Bake in very slow oven (120C) about 5 hours. Cover hot cake with foil. Turn cake onto. Cool upside down in pan. Serve with cream or ice- cream.