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Here is a recipe for a rich, fruity cake topped with almonds. It is often served at Christmas or New Year. You can omit the whisky if you wish but don't substitute it with another spirit as this will change the flavouring.
Ingredients
8oz Flour
1 level teaspoon baking powder
6 oz Butter
5oz Caster/granulated sugar
2 tablespoons whisky
1.5oz mixed peel
6oz each of currants, raisins, sultanas (seedless white raisins)
4 Eggs
Grated rind and juice of lemon
1oz Blanched almonds (to be used as decoration)
2 tablespoons boiled milk and 1 tablespoon sugar
Method
Mix to a fine cream, the butter and sugar in a bowl. When it is white and creamy, slowly add the four eggs (one at a time), plus a spoonful of flour at the same time as each of the eggs. Beat the mixture well all the time. Stir in the nuts and fruits.
Add the rest of the flour, (sifted with the baking powder) and the whisky (if this is to be added). Make sure the mixture is stirred well and if it is too stiff, add a little milk.
Place mixture in an 8-inch greased and lined cake tin. Flatten the top and cover with foil or greaseproof paper and bake at 325F (170C) or gas mark 3 for two hours. Approximately halfway through the cooking time, take off the foil and arrange the split almonds in concentric circles on the top of the cake. Check the cake with a skewer towards the end of cooking. The cake should be dry all the way through - if it is still moist in the middle (most commonly), put it back in the oven until it meets this criteria.
5/10 minutes before cooking is finished, brush the top with the sweetened milk to create a dry glaze. Keep in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out on a wired tray. Eat soon after or store in an airtight container.