• 1kg sultanas (or any mixture of dried fruit)
• 150ml strong tea
• 1 orange, juice and zest
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1tsp ground cloves
• 1tsp fresh ground nutmeg
• 1tsp mixed spice
• 250g butter, softened
• 250g soft brown sugar
• 4 free range eggs
• 200g plain flour
• 200g blanched almonds (or flaked almonds or mixed nuts)

1. Add the dried fruit, tea, orange and lemon juice and zest and the spices to a large bowl. Mix well and leave covered for a least a day, stirring every couple of hours or whenever you remember
2. Preheat the oven to 160C
3. Grease and double-line a 25cm cake tin or a couple of smaller tins and wrap the outside with tinfoil*
4. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
5. Beat in the eggs one by one, then mix in all of the remaining ingredients
6. Pour into the tins(s) and smooth the top with the back of a spoon, leaving the centre very slightly concave
7. Bake for 90 minutes
8. Turn the heat down to 140C, cover the top with foil and bake for another 2 and a half hours**
9. When a skewer comes out clean, remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the tin for at least half an hour
10. Keep the cake wrapped in the baking paper and a layer of clingfilm, or in an airtight sweet tin, until you are ready to decorate

*this is to stop the edges of the cake browning too much

**these times and temperatures are for a conventional oven. If using a fan oven, cover the cake from the start and rotate halfway through cooking, bake at 160C until ready. For gas ovens use the middle flame setting