From Everyday Cookbook (p.135 in my edition)
I had tasted this Christmas-type cake at cooking class after colleagues had made it and wondered about the moistness of it.
Making it myself for the first time, I realised that probably came from the step which has us put the fruit into boiling water to clean, and then dry out again overnight.
The second and third times I made the cake, I glossed over that part as I was lazy/impatient and I was still happy with how the cake turned out.
You have to moisten the top of the cake before putting it into the oven. The first time, I moistened it with the fruity water from the night before but that resulted in a very dark-looking cake top. It wasn't burned but I thought it was less attractive than I was hoping for.
The brandy you pour onto it after it comes out of the oven adds to the moisture too.
I didn't have any trouble getting the cake out of the tin.
I like the recipe. It is easy to make and the cake is good enough to give as a Christmas present and could easily be titivated up with ribbons or royal icing. 5/5