Instructions: The day before making mix together the orange rind and juice brandy cherries raisins sultanas and currants.

Cover and leave to soak overnight.

Cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

Sieve together the flours salt and mixed spice.

Beat in the eggs one at a time with 1 tsp flour to the butter mixture.

Fold in the remaining flour mixture and ground almonds.

Add the toasted chopped nuts and soaked fruit.

Mix the treacle golden syrup and milk together and stir into the cake mixture. Stir well.

When thoroughly mixed pour into a greased and lined 200mm deep round cake tin.

To bake in the two oven aga put the oven shelf on the floor of the roasting oven put in the cake and slide the cold shelf two sets of runners above the top of the cake tin.

Cook for 20 to 30 minutes do not allow to overbrown.

Transfer to the simmering oven for 68 hours depending upon the heat of the oven.

Cooler ovens may need overnight cooking.

For the four oven aga put the oven shelf on the floor of the baking oven put in the cake and bake for 30 minutes.

Transfer to the simmering oven and bake as above.

The cake is cooked when a warm skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in the tin.

Decorate with marzipan icing or as liked.

I have no idea where the name for this cake came front. We always made this as the christmas cake at college in gloucester and it has become a family favourite since.

Makes one 200mm cake

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