Christmas Cake

I've been gone so long I don't know how to start a post anymore. I had the stomach flu this last week. I went to CT to visit family for the holidays. I haven't really been cooking since I made a cake for Christmas Eve (more on that later). This particular cake I make at the beginning of December to take to a friend's house for dinner. Personally I think this cake is appropriate for any season. I don't like cherries, especially in dessert but these are easy to avoid and I can usually find someone at the table on whom I can pawn them off. The best part of this cake is the crispy top. I find this goes very well in the morning as well, almost like a coffee cake. My mother uses a standing mixer and my grandmother mixes by hand. The cake comes out differently depending on which method you use. I think I creamed my butter and sugar with a hand mixer but the rest I did by hand. I don't know if I recommend that.
Christmas Cake

1 lb. confectionery sugar
1/2 lb. butter or margarine
3 cups flour
8 oz. walnuts
5 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2-3 tsp. baking powder
10 oz. jar maraschino cherries, drained

1. Cream butter and sugar.
   
2. Add eggs one at a time.
3. Add vanilla, flour, and baking powder.
4. Roll cherries in a little flour (this will keep them from sinking- some of mine sank because I didn't mix them in well enough and were already on the bottom when I poured the cake into the pan).
   
5. Fold in nuts and cherries.
6. Pour into greased and floured tube pan.
7. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

I thought the cake came out very well considering I don't really enjoy baking all that much. Something made it a little drier than I would have liked but again. Feel free to enjoy with coffee or milk and it doesn't matter.