Best Christmas cake (ever

“As the first real cake I ever baked, this Christmas cake has a special place in my heart; I still remember proudly carrying it into the dining room on Christmas Day. To this day I still stand by my Grandma’s ‘Christmas Cake Rules’ – 1) soak the fruit for a minimum of three days in copious amounts of brandy and 2) always leave the parchment on the cake when feeding. Over the years I’ve added my own little tweaks – like adding a small drop of apple juice, which gives the cake a little bit of sharpness to cut through all the natural fruit sugars.”

– Immy Bawdon, owner of Isle of Wight (in Cowes and Newport) artisan bakery and café Richmonds Bakery

Full recipe online at styleofwight.co.uk