12 oz. butter
12 oz. brown sugar
8 eggs
1 lb plain flour
4 oz. chopped almonds
4 oz. black treacle
1 level teaspoon baking powder
1 level teaspoon mixed spice
½ level teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 lb. currants
12 oz. sultanas
4 oz. raisins
8 oz. mixed peel
4 oz. chopped cherries
½ gill (1/8 pint) brandy
Beat together the butter and sugar until they are white and like thick cream. Beat the eggs and add them, a little at a time, beating each lot well in before more is added. (If added too quickly, the mixture tends to curdle. If it does curdle go on regardless!) Add the flavourings. Then stir in lightly the fruit and nuts. Sift together the baking powder, salt and flour and add this to the mixture a little at a time, folding it in as lightly as possible. Add the treacle and brandy at the last. Bake for about 5 hours in a 9" tin lined on bottom and sides with two layers of greased paper, and surrounded on the outside with brown paper that extends about 3" above top of tin. This cake should be kept several weeks before using. Cover with almond paste, leave this to set for 24 hours and then ice and decorate.
The ritual decoration at 31 Tanza consisted of a white icing made with tepid water and egg white (not as hard as Royal icing), piped lines of green icing forming a lattice, with half glace cherries between alternate squares to form a chequer board, and silver balls where the green lines crossed.