Instructions: De-stalk and roughly chop dried figs. Halve glace cherries. Mix together figs, glace cherries, currants, raisins, sultanas and rum.

Cover and set aside overnight or for at least 4 hours. Cream together butter, brown sugar and treacle.

Beat eggs. Add into creamed butter a tbsp at a time, mixing in well.

Sift together flour and mixed spice. Fold sifted flour into butter mixture Roughly chop almonds. Fold soaked dried fruit, chopped almonds and lemon zest into cake mixture.

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 3/325F/170C.

Line a greased 7 in/18cm cake tin with a double thickness of greaseproof paper.

Pour the cake mixture into the lined cake tin.

Bake for 2 hours until set. Cool in the tin for an hour before turning out.

Allow to cool thoroughly, wrap in a double layer of greaseproof paper, then a double layer of foil. Store in an airtight tin.

NOTES : One of the traditional Christmas treats on offer at this time of year is a rich, boozy fruit cake, filled with dried fruits and nuts and flavoured with citrus peel and spirits. Classically, a Christmas cake is made weeks in advance and set aside to develop in flavour. For extra tipsy cakes try feeding it tsps of extra alcohol through small holes in the top of the cake.

Makes a 7 inch cake.

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