Set back with a cup of tea and a slab of nut cake after the excitement of Christmas begins to wane. It will infuse you with a mellow feeling of love for your family, love for humanity, and most of all love for nut bread.
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 qt. of pecans or walnuts
1 cup raisins (may substitute dates, figs, or dried appricots)
1 cup diced marachino cherries)
2 tablespoons vanilla.
Cream butter and sugar with mixer. Beat eggs thoroughly and add to creamed mixture. Now add in vanilla flavoring.
Make certain nuts and cherries are cut into small pieces. In a separate bowl add cherries, nuts and raisins. Cover all with flour and mix until even.
Add creamed mixture to nut mixture (or vise versa - what ever is in the bigger bowl). Place wax paper in botton of round cake pan. Pour in ingredients. Bake at 300 degrees for one hour and twenty minutes.
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Cake:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.
Bring milk to boil and set aside to cool.
Blend nuts and cornflakes.
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together until creamy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well.
Fold in the sifted flour, baking powder, salt and mixed spice, then fold in the lemon zest, milk, nuts and cornflakes.
Beat the egg whites until peaky, and fold through the mixture.
Pour into a buttered and floured 20cm diameter high-sided cake tin and bake for 40 mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Lemon curd
In a medium saucepan, mix lemon zest, lemon juice, cornstarch, butter and sugar, bringing the mixture to boil over medium heat. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
Beat egg yolks until smooth and whisk in a small amount of the hot lemon mixture.
Pour the egg mixture into the sauce pan, reduce heat to low, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens but do not bring to boil.
Pour mixture into medium bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface to keep skin from forming as it cools.
Cool to room temperature and refridgerate for 3 hours.

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