Irish Christmas Cake

• Citron 1 lb.
• Candied orange and lemon peel, combined, 1/2 lb.
• Dates, 1/2 lb.
• Glace cherries, 1/2 lb.
• Raisins, 3 3/4 Cup.
• Currants, 2 3/4 Cup.
• Almonds and pecans, combined, coarsely chopped, 1 lb.
• Brandy, 3/4 Cup
• Brown sugar, 1 lb.
• Butter, softened, 1 lb.
• Egg yolks, beaten until thick, 15
• All-purpose flour, sifted, 4 Cups
• Cinnamon, 1 Tbsp.
• Cloves, 1 Tbsp.
• Allspice, 1 Tbsp.
• Nutmeg, 1 Tbsp.
• Mace, 1 1/2 tsp.
• Egg whites, beaten until stiff, 15

Chop the citron, orange and lemon peels, dates and cherries. (Reserve a few cherry halves for decoration.) Add the raisins, currants, almonds, and pecans. (Reserve a few nut halves for decoration.) Pour on the brandy and let the fruits marinate while preparing the rest of the ingredients. Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the beaten egg yolks gradually, beating constantly. Reserve 1 cup of the flour and sift the remaining 3 cups with the spices. Add the sifted ingredients gradually to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in the egg whites carefully. Sprinkle the fruits with the reserved 1 cup of flour and mix well. Fold the fruits into the batter. Oil and line a 12-inch springform pan with waxed paper. Place batter in pan and bake in 300 degree F. oven with pans of hot water in bottom of the oven, for 2 1/2 hours. Cool the cake and wrap in cheesecloth that has been soaked in brandy. Place in airtight container and store until ready to use. Every 3 weeks, re-dip the cheesecloth wrapper in brandy. Before decorating, glaze the top and sides of the cake with either apricot jam, thinned with a little water or red currant jelly. This will help the marzipan to adhere to the cake sides. Almond Paste 3 (9 oz.) cans almond paste Form 2 cans of the almond paste into a ball. Place on lightly sugared or floured board and roll into a rectangle 1/8 inch thick. (The width of the rectangle should match the height of the sides of the cake. The length should match the circumference.) Circle the cake with the almond paste and trim the edges to fit perfectly. Roll the remaining paste into a circle the size of the top of the cake. Place the circle on the cake and trim. Let the almond paste dry overnight. Ice with Royal Icing Royal Icing egg whites, 2 Lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. Confectioners' sugar, 1 lb. Beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until they are the consistency of cream. Beat in the sugar a little at a time. Continue beating, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the icing is smooth and shiny. It will be very stiff. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth if the icing is not to be used immediately. Cover the almond paste with a thin layer of icing. Dip the knife in hot water if the icing is difficult to spread. To decorate the cake, form peaks on the sides and edges of the top of the cake with the remaining icing using the tip of a knife.

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