Christmas cake(british) Recipe

2       lb           Mixed dried fruit
   4       oz           Glace' cherries
   4       oz           Candied fruit
   3       oz           blanched almonds
  10       oz           Plain flour
   1       x            Pinch salt
     1/4   ts           Bicarbonate of soda
   1       t            Mixed spice
   4       x            Eggs
     1/2   ts           Flavoring (vanilla, lemon)
   1       tb           Blackstrap molasses
   8       oz           butter
   8       oz           Soft brown sugar
   1       x            Whisky to soak fruit
 250       ml           Milk (to mix)

  (Note: (1) The mixed dried fruit should be such things
  as seedless raisins and currants. (2) The 1/2 teaspoon
  of "flavoring" can be almond, or lemon, or vanilla, or
  a mixture of the three. (3) "Mixed spice" is a
  combination of cinnamon, allspice and mace: about 1/3
  of each.) -- Find a 9-inch cake pan at least three
  inches deep; grease it, and line the bottom and sides
  with a double thickness of greased baking parchment.
  Tie folded brown paper or newspaper around the outside
  of the pan. (The paper is insulation, to keep the
  sides of the cake from scorching as it bakes.) Set
  oven to 320-300F: have folded paper to stand the pan
  on when baking -- place low in oven. Pick over the
  dried fruit, removing any stems, etc. Wash, drain well
  and spread over a cloth on a tray to dry. When dry,
  put in a bowl and pour a small wine-glass of spirit
  over it. Cover well and leave overnight. -- Next day,
  add chopped peel, blanched chopped almonds, and
  cherries minced and drained. Mix thoroughly. Sift
  together the flour, salt, soda and spice. Beat the
  eggs well with the molasses and flavoring. Put the
  butter into a large warmed bowl and beat until soft;
  then add the sugar and beat until light and creamy.
  Beat in the egg mixture, about a sixth of it at a
  time, then fold in half the flour mixture. Add
  remainder of the flour to the fruit and mix well. Add
  fruit to creamed mixture and fold in well. Put into
  pan and bake for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until done.
  If top of cake is browning too fast, cover with a few
  thicknesses of paper. Reduce the oven heat slightly
  every hour -- about 10 degrees. Test with skewer for
  doneness. Keep the paper wrapped around the cake in
  place until completely cooled, so that the cooling
  takes place slowly. After completely cooled, invert
  the cake, lift the baking parchment off the bottom,
  and sprinkle the cake generously with the spirit of
  your choice. Wrap well in foil, put in a sealed tin,
  and keep in a cool place (not necessarily
  refrigerated) . The cake benefits from occasional
  unwrappings and sprinkling with more spirit. It takes
  about 2 months to achieve maximum "mellowness".