Making a Christmas cake is a bit of an epic challenge, isn't it? First comes the planning, then the mixing, then months of feeding it booze, then baking, making marzipan and spending an eternity icing it - only for half your Christmas party to eventually turn their noses up and opt for the chocolate log. It's a whole lot of festive faff I've never involved myself in.

The cake was something my mum always made and now she's not around, I either don't bother, or make do with a ready-made Marks & Spencer affair. And it seems I'm not alone.

A whopping one in five of us apparently buy a Christmas cake from the supermarket and pass it off as our own, according to research by Currys PC World. And unsurprising, less than half of us make the effort to bake our own cake, because we just don't think we're capable. We might love a bit of Bake Off and attempt the odd batch of biscuits here and there, but a Christmas cake is serious business, right?

Wrong. And the lovely Rachel Allen is here to prove it.

Not only can her delicious cake be made on Christmas Eve, but it's so easy, she reckons each and every one of us can bake it. I agree to meet her for a masterclass and put this to the test.

She arrives, all relaxed and mumsy, popping on her pinny and getting stuck in. She's passionate about her craft but insists this cake is easier than making a Victoria Sponge.

"It doesn't need to rise," she says, blue eyes sparkling with a giant smile spread across her face. "You just bung everything in together and bake it."

And, to be fair, that is exactly what she does.

"I like to include lots of other dried fruit, rather than just raisins, sultanas and currants," she declares, throwing in a multitude of bits and pieces.

"But feel free to play around with that. I love the toffee flavour of dates and crystallized ginger with the sugar on."

And as for feeding the cake with alcohol, as long as the fruit's soaked for at least two hours, that's more than enough, but if you do have time, you can leave it to get sozzled for a couple of days.

Christmas cakes obviously take a while to cook but once all the ingredients are combined, Rachel pops it in the oven and shows us how to make the icing.

Now this isn't your traditional Christmas cake. It's iced with an almond paste, "which is a bit like marzipan" - but so much nicer.

Getting the paste to come together is a bit of an effort. You'll probably feel like you want to add more water (or brandy) but keep at it and it will probably be fine.

"Tip the last drop of egg in and that will probably do it," she says.

And it does fall apart a bit, but you patch it up like pastry and once the icing's on the cake, go to town on it with a flat-edge cake smoother or a palette knife and it will transform into a thing of beauty. Granted, it does help having the patient confidence of a cook who's clearly made this cake a million times before promising you it's all working perfectly, but stick at it. The smoothing part is actually enormously addictive - and very therapeutic, so it's good for getting rid of that festive stress.

"And you can choose whether to put the brandy in your cake or your tummy," 42-year-old Rachel chuckles.

Once you're done - Rachel recommends rolling a glass around the sides to ensure there are no gaps between the cake and the icing - all that's left to do is add a few decorative shapes from the leftover paste, cover it in egg wash and bake it for 20 minutes.

And there you have it - the easiest Christmas cake you could ever make. That you really, actually, genuinely can - and should - make.

Mine is now proudly sitting in the utility room, where it will wait patiently until December 25, when I emerge from the kitchen looking incredibly smug and feeling very proud.

RACHEL ALLEN'S CHRISTMAS CAKE WITH TOASTED ALMOND PASTE

150g sultanas

150g raisins

110g chopped dried cranberries

110g chopped candied peel

110g chopped dates

110g chopped dried apricots

50g finely chopped crystallized ginger

150ml brandy or whiskey

275g butter, softened

275g light muscovado or soft light brown sugar

5 eggs

Finely grated orange rind from 1 orange

50g ground almonds

275g flour

2tsp mixed spice

For the almond paste:

450g ground almonds

450g caster sugar

1 large or 2 small eggs

2tbsp brandy or whiskey

A couple of drops of almond essence

To brush on the cake:

1 small egg white, lightly beaten

2 egg yolks

How to make the cake

Preheat the oven to 150C/135 fan/300F/gas mark 2.

Line the base of a 23-inch non-stick cake tin and butter the sides. You can also put parchment paper around the outside of the tin to stop the cake drying out in the oven.

Place the sultanas, raisins, dried cranberries, chopped candied peel, dates, dried apricots and the crystallized ginger in a bowl. Pour on the whiskey or brandy and allow to soak for at least two hours.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter very well. Add in the sugar and beat well, and then beat in the eggs one by one. Stir in the grated orange zest and ground almonds.

Sift in the flour and spices and fold in gently, followed by the fruit and any alcohol left in the bowl.

Transfer into the prepared cake tin and bake for between two-and-a-half to three-and-a-quarter hours. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake will come out clean when the cake is cooked.

Pour another tablespoon or two of whiskey or brandy over the top of the cake, as soon as it comes out of the oven. Cover the cake, still in the tin, with tin foil. This will keep the top of the cake nice and soft while it's cooling.

Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin and cover again in tin foil, until you're ready to cover it with Almond Paste.

How to make the almond paste

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7.

Mix the ground almonds and sugar together in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs, add the brandy or whiskey and a couple of drops of almond essence, then add to the dry ingredients and mix to a stiff paste.

Sprinkle the worktop with icing sugar, turn out the almond paste and work lightly until smooth.

Remove all tin foil and greaseproof paper from the cake. Take about half of the almond paste and place it on a worktop that has been dusted with icing sugar. Roll until it is about 1cm thick.

Paint the top of the cake with the lightly-beaten egg white and put the cake, sticky side down, onto the almond paste. Cut around the edge of the cake, then carefully turn the cake the right side up with the lid of almond paste attached to the top.

Measure the circumference and height of the cake. Roll out two long strips of almond paste (to the length of the circumference) and trim both edges to the height of the cake with a palette knife. Paint both the cake and the almond paste lightly with egg white. Press the strip against the sides of the cake - do not overlap or there will be a bulge. Use a straight-sided water glass to even the edges and smooth the join. Rub the cake well with your hand (or cake smoother or palette knife) to ensure a nice flat surface.

At this stage, place the cake on a baking tray (Allen recommends turning the baking tray upside down so it's easier to remove). Roll out the remainder of the almond paste to approximately 5mm thick, and cut out star, heart, holly or Santa shapes.

Paint the whole surface of the cake with some beaten egg yolk and stick the shapes on top and around the sides. Brush the shapes with egg yolk.

Bake the cake in the centre of a preheated oven for 10-20 minutes until lovely and golden. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, then transfer to a plate.

Celebrity chef Rachel Allen and Currys PC World are encouraging the nation to bake their own Christmas cakes this year. To see their full baking range, as well as recipes and videos visit www.currys.co.uk/baking