My Christmas cake

This year I baked a Christmas cake for the first time. When I was younger, my parents made the cake together - my mum measured everything while my dad did the stirring. They always had an argument over whether to make my mum's recipe (a dark, brown sugary cake) or my dad's mum's recipe (much lighter in colour, and written by her hand in a very old black book). When I was very little I didn't like Christmas cake, but I do now.

My mum still makes a cake but this year I decided to make my own, even though Lee doesn't eat it. We're away at New Year with my family who I know will like this cake.

I got the recipe from BBC Good Food here. We made the cake a few weeks ago and I have fed it twice with the brandy left over. I decorated it in the few days just before Christmas with a layer of marzipan, then icing. I bought the snowman but I made the trees and Santa.

And the verdict on the cake? It's very nice - really moist and with a strong alcohol taste. My mum says I've got myself a job for life!