America's rich Christmas cake could once have been eaten on the Twelfth Night.

2 eggs
cup of sugar
cup of sour cream
teaspoon of vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon of lemon essence
round cake tin, 20 cm (8 inches) across and 8 cm (3 inch) deep
small china token, or dried bean
cake rack

For Icing
2 cups of sifted icing sugar mixture
tablespoon of butter
enough lime or lemon juice to moisten into a paste
crushed nuts or sprinkles to decorate

Beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the cream and beat, then essences.
Lightly fold in the sifted flour.
Spoon the batter into the well-buttered tin. You can also line it with buttered-paper.
Make sure you add the token.
Bake the cake at 170 celcius/ 325 farenheit for 35 minutes.
Don't open the door. Be patient.
Cool the cake in the tin and then turn it out on to a rack to cool properly.

Ice the top and sides of the cake after mixing all the ingredients for the icing to a spreading paste.
Decorate with a ring of crushed nuts and an inner circle of chocolate sprinkles. Maybe add a sugar mouse in the center, or garden flowers on the plate, and a ribbon.