Cooking time: 1 3/4 hours
Preparation time: 40 mins.
Main cooking utensils: saucepan, 7-in. spring form pan
Oven temperature: 350°F

For 12-14 servings you need:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons shortening
6 tablespoons brown sugar
scant 1/4 cup corn syrup
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup currants
1/3 cup seedless white raisins
1 tablespoon preserved ginger

Fudge icing:
6 tablespoons butter
scant 1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon strong black coffee
3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Decoration:
Almond paste
little confectioners’ sugar
chocolate buttons

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.

2. Add ginger and baking soda.

3. Heat the shortening and sugar with corn syrup until melted, then cool.

4. Beat egg and milk together.

5. Add fruit and chopped preserved ginger to the flour.

6. Pour in melted sugar mixture, the egg, and milk, stir well.

7. Transfer at once to the pan lined with wax paper.

8. Bake in center of oven for time and temperature given until firm to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.

9. For the fudge icing, put butter, milk and coffee into a saucepan, stir over low heat until the butter is melted. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL.

10. Pour over the confectioners’ sugar and beat thoroughly until nearly cold and thick. Coat cake with the icing, swirling it with the blade of a knife.

11. Roll out almond paste on surface sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.
Cut out witches’ hats, etc.

TO SERVE: Put cake on serving dish arrange chocolate buttons in icing. Decorate almond paste shapes, tinted with gravy coloring, if wished.

Printed in Canada. ©Copyright Paul Hamlyn Ltd. 1967