Finished – Dan Lepard’s Caramel Christmas Cake

200 g caster sugar
150 ml double cream
50 g honey
50 g black treacle or molasses
Finely grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
4 tsp mixed spice
100 g unsalted butter
3 medium eggs
250 g strong white flour
1 tsp baking powder
250 g each currants raisins and chopped prunes or figs. (this is a great time to use some boozy fruit)
400 g natural glacé cherries if you don't like grace cherries, skip them or use 4oog of other dried fruit.
200 g shelled halved walnuts

Line the base and sides of a round 18cm diameter cake tin with two or three layers of nonstick baking parchment.
Start pre heating the oven to 170C (150C fan-assisted)/335F/gas mark 3.
Measure out the ingredients and have them ready in bowls.
Put the sugar and 50ml water in a saucepan and for five to six minutes until it turns a dark reddish colour.
As soon as the colour changes, add the cream and stir – beware the mixture may splutter, so stand well back!
Remove the caramel mixture from the heat.
Add the honey, treacle, zest and mixed spice to the caramel mixture.
Add the butter mixing it in as it melts.
Pour the caramel mixture into a large mixing bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time.
Beat in the flour and baking powder until smooth.
Fold in the fruit and nuts.
Spoon in the mixture into your prepared baking tin.
Bake for two hours, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Allow it to cool in the tin while you search for wee Santa's, reindeers and other silly but fun decorations.