Rich fruit/Christmas cake

Makes 8 inch deep round cake

225g (8oz) softened butter

175g (6oz) muscovado sugar

4 eggs

275g (9oz) plain flour

110g (4oz) ground almonds

900g (2lbs) mixed fruit, to include glace cherries and mixed peel

4 tablespoons sherry

4 tablespoons black treacle

• Preheat the oven to 180C (350F, Gas mark 4). Beat the butter with the sugar, then add the eggs one at a time with a spoonful of flour. Fold in the ground almonds, sherry and black treacle. Grease and line the tin with parchment paper including the base of the tin and spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, smoothing it even. Start by cooking it in the oven at 180C for 20 mins then lower the temperature to 140C (275F, Gas mark 1) and bake for a further two hours or until the centre is firm to the touch. Leave the cake to cool in its tin. You can cover it with marzipan and icing just before Christmas.