650g dried fruit

150g cranberries

100g unsulphured apricots(chopped)

50g prunes(chopped)

50g crystalised ginger(chopped)

150ml sherry, brandy rum or brewed tea

Zest and juice of 2 oranges and 2 lemons

250g pack of unsalted butter softened

200g light soft brown sugar

2tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

200g plain flour

1tsp cinnamon

Sprinkle of grated nutmeg to taste

100g ground almonds

100g chopped mixed nuts (optional)

1. Put dried fruit in large bowl with choice of alcohol or tea citrus zest and juice. Mix well and cover overnight

2. Heat oven to 160C/14C fan/gas3. Double line a deep cake tin-20cm round or 18cm square with enough baking parchment to come 2.5cm above the top of the tin. Wrap outside of the tin with newspaper or brown paper and secure with string.

3. Beat butter sugar and vanilla until creamy and add in eggs one by one. Tip in flour, spices, soaked fruit and all liquid in the bowl and nuts if chosen. Stir everything together then scrape into the prepared tin. Using the back of a spoon make a slight dent in the centre of the mixture then bake for 3 hours.

4. Reduce oven temperature to 140C/120C fan/gas

5. Loosely cover the top of the cake with tin foil or parchment paper and cook for another 45mins. Test until a skewer poked right to the bottom comes out clean. Cool in the tin then lift out and wrap in greaseproof paper. Store in airtight tin and feed with alcohol if desired