Last Minute Club -- the Day Before Christmas Cake

The organized and forward thinking amongst us began making Christmas cake back in the late summer.

The less organized and culinary untalented among us may have scooped up one of the commercial things referred to as Christmas cake -- but if you've ever had the Real Deal, you know that the commercial ones are best used as doorstops... There are rumours that these can last in the depths of a freezer for about the same time as a plastic bag in landfill.

But for those of us for whom nothing happens without the Last Minute, do not despair -- you, too, can serve up a fantastic Christmas cake if company drops by over the holidays. This is one of my fav recipes, mainly because it can be made the day before -- even the evening before! -- and it's easy. Mind, you do have to take a quick swing through a grocery store, but you'd be doing that anyway!

It's a South African recipe (and sorry, it's not in metric... mea culpa).

Here's what you need:

1/2 lb brown sugar
1/2 lb butter
Cream these together until light and fluffy.

Separate 6 eggs. Reserve the whites. Beat the yolks into the sugar/butter mix one at a time and beat well.

Mix together:
1/2 cup run, whiskey or brandy. (for a non-alcoholic cake, take 2 cups of apple juice and simmer it down to 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup maple syrup (the South African recipe calls for molasses, but we're Canadian, eh?)
1/4 cup buttermilk.

Add to the egg mixture, and mix well.

Mix together:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 lb raisins
1/2 lb currants
1/2 lb blanched, slivered almonds
1/2 lb candied peel
1/2 lb candied cherries, cut in half

If you don't like a particular ingredient from this list, leave it out, and just increase the others slightly to keep the total constant. When these are all mixed together, fold them into the egg mixture and mix well.

Whip the 6 egg whites to soft peaks. Fold into the mixture.

Line a cake tin with waxed paper. (This makes about 2 large loaf pans) Pour in the batter. Put in pre-heated oven, 300 - 325 degrees F (not more than 325!). Put a separate pan of water in the bottom of the oven to keep the heat moist.

Bake for about 2 hours. Test with a knife. It's ready when the knife blade comes out clean.

Cool on a rack.

Enjoy. I'd suggest you send a slice along to us, but in my experience, there usually aren't any slices left to send.