Mike van de Elzen's No Soak Christmas Cake

Mike's No Soak Christmas Cake1 lemon, zested 1 orange, zested 350 gm castor sugar 300 gm raisins 300 gm currants 300 gm sultanas 200 gm mixed candied peel 500 gm plain flour 75 gm baking powder 1 pinch salt 100 gm ground almonds 8 eggs 50 gm blanched almonds 25 ml milk 75 ml brandy/dark rum (optional) Cream butter and gradually work in the fresh citrus rind. Add the sugar and cream together until pale, light and fluffy. Place raisins, currants, sultanas and mixed peel in a bowl. Sift flour and salt together twice and add 50g of it to the mixed fruit. Mix well to cover all. Add the ground almonds to the butter and sugar and mix well, then gradually add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually fold in half the remaining flour, then the fruit little by little. Fold in the rest of the flour. (At this point add the alcohol if using it) Spoon the mixture into greased and lined cake tin and smooth the surface using the back of a the spoon, briefly soak the almonds in the milk and arrange close together in neat circles on top of the cakeBake at 170 C for 45 minutes then continue cooking until done. Lower the oven temperature to 160 C/ 130 C fan and cook for a further 60 minutes. Check after 50 minutesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.