Method

1.    Put the butter, sugar, fruit, zests, juice and 100ml brandy in a large pan. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the butter has melted. Reduce the heat and heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2.    Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool for half an hour.

3.    Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2/ fan 130C and line a 8 inch round cake tin with baking parchment. Toast the nuts in a dry frying pan, tossing them until evenly browned, or in the oven for 8-10 minutes – watch them as they burn easily. When they are cool, chop roughly. Stir the eggs, nuts and ground almonds into the fruit mixture and mix. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into the pan. Stirring them in gently, until there are no traces of flour left.

4.    Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth it down.

5.    Bake for 45 minutes, then turn down the heat to 140C/gas 1/ fan120C and cook for another hour (about a further 1¾ hours if you have a gas oven) until the cake is dark golden in appearance and firm to the touch. Cover the top of the cake with foil if it starts to darken too much. To check the cake is done, insert a fine skewer into the centre – if it comes out clean, then it’s done!

6.    Make holes all over the warm cake with a fine skewer and spoon the extra 4tbsp brandy over the holes until it has all soaked in. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When it’s cold, remove it from the tin, peel off the lining paper, then wrap first in baking parchment and then in foil. This cake will keep in a cupboard for up to three months or you can freeze it for six months.