All you need this year for an exceptional and delicious traditional Christmas cake is 25 minutes prepping time, two hours and ten minutes cooking time and these ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1kg mixed dried fruit (use a mix of raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries, cranberries, prunes or figs)

• Zest and juice 1 orange

• Zest and juice 1 lemon

• 150ml brandy, sherry, whisky or rum, plus extra for feeding

• 250g pack butter, softened

• 200g light soft brown sugar

• 175g plain flour • 100g ground almond

• ½ tsp baking powder • 2 tsp mixed spice

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground cloves

• 100g flaked almonds • 4 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract Method

• STEP 1 Put 1kg mixed dried fruit, the zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon, 150ml brandy or other alcohol, 250g softened butter and 200g light, soft brown sugar in a large pan set over a medium heat.

• STEP 2 Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for five mins. Tip the fruit mixture into a large bowl and leave to cool for 30 mins.

• STEP 3 Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside – tie with string to secure.

• STEP 4 Add 175g plain flour, 100g ground almonds, ½ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp mixed spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 100g flaked almonds, 4 large eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the fruit mixture and stir well, making sure there are no pockets of flour.

• STEP 5 Tip into your prepared tin, level the top with a spatula and bake in the centre of the oven for two hrs.

• STEP 6 Remove the cake from the oven, poke holes in it with a skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp of your chosen alcohol. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.

• STEP 7 To store, peel off the baking parchment, then wrap well in cling film. Feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp alcohol every fortnight, until you ice it.

• STEP 8 Don’t feed the cake for the final week to give the surface a chance to dry before icing.