By making this cake a few weeks before christmas gives it a chance to mature,

Ingredients
250g/9oz self-raising flour
1½tsp mixed spice
½tsp ground cinnamon
¼tsp ground cloves
50g/1¾oz ground almonds
350g/12oz each raisins, currants and sultanas
50g/1¾oz mixed peel
50g/1¾oz dried apricots, chopped
50g/1¾oz walnuts, roughly chopped
50g/1¾oz whole (unblanched) almonds, roughly chopped
250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened
200g/7oz dark muscovado sugar
grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
5 large free-range eggs

200ml brandy

200ml sherry

200ml guiness.

First put all the fruits into a bowl and pour over all the alcohols,

stir well and cover tightly with a lid or cling film,

place the bowl into a cool place for at least 2 days.

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
2. Sift the flour, spices and almonds into a bowl, then add the raisins, currants, sultanas, mixed peel, dried apricots, nuts and a pinch of salt. Stir thoroughly. In a separate bowl, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest until fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one by one, adding a teaspoon of the flour mixture with each egg. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture with the lemon juice.
3. Spoon into the prepared tin. Level the top and bake for two hours. Very loosely cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper and continue to bake for another one hour, making three hours in total, but test for readiness after two-and-three-quarter hours' cooking. The cake is cooked when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and the sides have begun to shrink from the edges of the tin.
4. Remove to a wire rack. Once completely cold, wrap in foil and store in an airtight container until Christmas, removing every two weeks to 'feed': unwrap, prick the top with a long skewer and spoon over one to two tablespoons brandy. Reseal as before.

you can cover the cake with marzipan and icing,

but I like it plain as a good fruit cake,

and It is delicious with cheese.

Nick...