Christmas Fruit Cake

Ingredients:
225 gms wheat germ (suji),
225 gms sugar,
225 gms butter,
7 eggs; separated,
340 gms currants or dark raisins,
340 gms golden raisins,
200 gms chopped almonds,
1/2 tsp clove powder,
1 tsp cinnamon powder,
1 tsp nutmeg powder,
2 1/2 oz brandy,
2 1/2 oz honey,
2 1/2 oz rose water,
2 tsp almond essence,
A pinch of salt.

Method:
Mix the chopped fruits and nuts with brandy and soak them at least for a day, stirring occasionally. Next day, roast the suji in a pan, on a low flame stirring continuously till it is lightly fragrant. Melt the butter and add to the suji. Beat together the sugar and egg yolks till the mixture is light, creamy and stiff. For this add a yolk to the sugar at a time. Then add honey , spices, rose water and almond essence gradually mixing well. Add the soaked fruits, nuts and the roasted suji and butter mixture, mix well. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt till stiff and fold lightly into the cake batter. The cake should be lined with two layers of greased paper. Pour in the mixture and bake in a hot oven at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes or till the cake starts to brown. Cover the cake with two folds of greased paper to prevent it from burning. Continue to bake from another three hours or until dry when tested with a toothpick or a fork.

TIP:
1. You can substitute almonds with walnuts or cashew nuts or use all.
2. This cake is prepared in Christmas and hence you can prepare it in advance, and brush the top with rum or brandy every other day.