Layout AND fruitcake recipe

Made this layout last night, Megan and Fiela(as we call her)having some fun with crazy hats, they got at Disneyland.
Ok, then as promised the recipe for the Fruitcake, this is really a 100% proven recipe and comes out PERFECT!!

First you need to prepare your baking tin/pan,I use a casserole, I have a round one, same as the ones we use at the braai, just round.
Otherwise, any pan, at least 25cm x 8cm, this is a rather large cake. And you should bake it at least 2 months in advance. It is a very rich cake, therefore you don't add any raising agents.

The pan:
Cut out 6 layers of newspaper in layers, to fit the bottom of your pan.
Take a double layer of brown paper(book covering paper) and fold it to fit the inside of your pan, it should be 6cm higher than the pan.
Take another double layer of brown paper cut in circles and put on top of the newspaper on the bottom. Spray it with Spray a Cook.
Now you take 4 layers of newspaper and wrap it around your pan, like in a blanket and tie it with twine.
Take another few layers of newspaper to make a lid for your pan, because the cake bakes for a long time, i stick it on with sellotape at the beginning just for it to stay there.

Ingredients:

1,250g of Mixed Fruitcake mixture.
250g Dates, finely chopped
55g of Red glazed cherries
150g whole Almonds
500ml Brandy
250g Cake flour
2,5ml Salt
2,5ml Bicarbonate of Soda
12,5 ml Coco
2,5ml Mixed spice
2,5ml Ginger
2,5ml Cinnamon
1ml Nutmeg
250g Butter
250g Sugar
4 Eggs

Mix your fruit and almonds and pour 250ml of brandy over and cover it and leave overnight.
Sift all your dry ingredients together and cream butter and sugar together, until light in colour.
Add your eggs one by one.

You can mix everything with a electric beater.
Mix your flour in now, the mixture is quite thick, but that is fine, otherwise the fruit go sit on the bottom. When it looks as though the fruit is too much for the dough, it is PERFECT, it should be. Mix everything nicely together, use your hands.
Put mixture in the pan, bake for 4-5 hours, at 150degrees Celsius,use a testing pen, when it comes out dry, it is ready to take out, when out of the oven, pour over the rest of the brandy.
Decorate your cake with Red cherries and Voila!! You can pour over a bit of brandy every now and again, then it stays nice and moist.

I think we should go baking and SHOW THE PICTURES!!! What about that??

Enjoy
Tania