Instructions: You will also need a cake tin measuring 28 by 18 cm 5 cm deep greased and lined with greaseproof paper also lightly greased.

Begin by melting the chocolate: break it up into squares and place it in a bowl set over a pan of hot (but not boiling) water leave for a few minutes then stir till melted down to a liquid.

Now simply pour the chocolate into the base of the prepared tin and sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly all over the melted chocolate.

Then allow it to cool and set hard.

After that you can make the cake.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 3 325 F170C then cream the butter or margarine with the sugar until pale and fluffy.

Next whip up the eggs with the vanilla essence and mix them into the creamed mixture a little at a time beating well after each addition.

Now fold in first the oats then the cherries and raisins.

Mix well then spread the cake mixture all over the chocolate base and bake the cake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Leave it to cool for 5 minutes then cut it into squares in the tin but leave until the chocolate has cooled and set again before removing from the tin.

Makes 18 squares

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