As promised, my new recipe for a Christmas Loaf Cake! 🎄 I have made this without mixed spice but if you miss that warmth and depth of flavour, by all means add a sprinkle of cinnamon, ginger or mixed spice.

Of course, making a traditional Christmas cake is very rewarding but it can be time consuming and, if you haven’t made one before, it can be very daunting! 😳

This loaf cake is based on the traditional Madeira cake and there’s not reason why everyone can’t have a go 🤗 Make it your own by adding other dried fruit like cherries and cranberries or by using your favourite festive ripple such as whiskey, port or sherry 🍷

Hope you enjoy!

Amy x

Ingredients
6oz margarine, softened
6oz caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs
3 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp limoncello
1 tsp orange essence
9oz self-raising flour
3 handfuls sultanas

Method
Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. Preheat the oven to 180C.

Beat the margarine, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, with a tbsp flour each time, and beat well.

Mix in the limoncello, brandy and orange essence.

Fold in the remaining flour and the sultanas.

Transfer to the prepared loaf tin and back in the preheated oven for 70-75 mins, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the cake is browning too quickly, cover with foil.

Remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

This cake is perfect without decoration or a simple sprinkle of icing sugar. I made a water icing with 3 tbsp icing sugar and 1-2 tsp concentrated orange cordial and sprinkled over Christmas sugar decorations.