6" Deep Luxury Christmas Fruit Cake Or A Normal 8" Cake (Slow Cooker)

Soak your fruit in the brandy, cover with foil or cling film and leave overnight.

In your mixer, beat your butter until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and treacle then mix until all combined.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs together. Add 50g of your flour to the mixture in your mixer then one spoonful at a time add the eggs. This step is important as your mixture could curdle. If this happens add more flour to give it a better hold and consistency. Mix thouroughly.

Fold in the remaining flour, baking powder, mixed spice, cinnamon, flaked almonds and both juice & zests of the lemon and orange. Mix well then add your fruit. Once again mix well.

Grease your cake tin and double line with baking paper then add your mixture. Add some water to your slow cooker then put in your cake tin. Place a towel under the lid and put on high for 3-4 hours (Times vary with each slow cooker)

Remove and allow to cool completely before removing from the cake tin.

Once cooled, feed your cake with more brandy then double wrap in baking paper, followed by cling film and place in a cool dark cupboard. Feed as little and as often as you like. When you are ready to decorate, cover cake in an apricot glaze, cover with marzipan then icing. Decorate how you wish. Enjoy!!!!