1 lemon, 100 grams glace cherries, 600 grams dried mixed fruit, 100 grams candied mixed citrus peel, 120 millilitres brandy or dark rum
Finely grate the zest from the lemon and squeeze the juice. Cut the cherries in half. Put them into a large saucepan with the dried fruit and peel and 100 ml of the alcohol.
Cover, then bring it to a simmer. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for at least an hour, or overnight if you can. The fruit will plump up and absorb the liquid.
When ready to make the cake, preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan/gas 3).
Double-line a deep 20cm round cake tin with baking parchment. To do this, fold a 65 x 30 cm piece of parchment in half lengthways. On the folded side, make a fold about 2 cm of the way in. Snip at 2 cm intervals along the length of the seam, up to the fold, a make a frill. Cut 2 circles for the base. Grease the tin with butter, then line the sides with the frilled paper, with the frills at the base of the tin, overlapping slightly. Grease the circles with butter, then sit them on top trapping the frill below. This preparation is needed to protect the cake during the long baking time.
225 grams soft butter, 225 grams light brown soft sugar
Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl, then beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 4 eggs
Add the vanilla, then beat in 1 egg. When the mixture is fluffy and light, add the next egg and repeat.
If the batter starts to look a little lumpy, beat in 1 tablespoon on the flour. Repeat with the remaining eggs. This is one creaming-method cake that can't be sped up; don't try to make it using the all-in-one method.
225 grams plain flour, 2 teaspoon ground mixed spice, 1/4 teaspoon salt
Sift in the flour, spice and salt into the bowl and fold into the batter with a spatula or large metal spoon.
50 grams toasted flaked almonds
Now fold in the soaked fruit, plus the nuts. It will make a stiff batter.
Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and level the top. Make a depression in the middle of the batter with the spatula. This will help the cake rise more evenly.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours, then turn the oven down to 150C (130C fan/Gas 2) for 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours more.
When ready, the cake will be dark golden and a skewer inserted into the centre will come out clean. If not bake for another 15 minutes and check again.
Leaver to cool in its tin on a rack. When still warm, prick holes all over it with a cocktail stick and spoon in the rest of the alcohol, tea or juice.
Once cool, remove from the tin then wrap carefully in clean baking parchment and store in an airtight container in a cool place.