It’s not that I don’t like Christmas cake, I do, but a few pieces are enough. This cake is much lighter and does get eaten. The ingredients can be varied. I even make it in place of a Simnel cake for Easter, replacing half the cherries with finely chopped marzipan.

Oven at 160°C. Grease a 23 cm deep round cake tin and line the sides and base with a double layer of parchment.

350g good quality glacé cherries, washed, drained and cut into quarters
220g can of pineapple in natural juices, strained and chopped
350g ready-to-eat dried apricots, ‘snipped’ into pieces
350g sultanas

(Feel free to substitute half the quantity of any of the above with raisins, finely chopped crystalised ginger, marzipan or chopped prunes. A teaspoon of cinnamon could also be added later with the flour.)

2 tbsp brandy
100g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
Grated rind of 2 unwaxed lemons
250g self-raising flour, sieved
250g golden caster sugar
250g unsalted butter, softened
75g ground almonds
5 large eggs, beaten

To decorate
Blanched whole almonds
Candied pineapple
Glacé cherries
75g icing sugar. sifted

Start the day before by preparing the fruit and putting it in a bowl with the brandy. Stir, cover and leave overnight.

The next day, measure all the other ingredients in a large bowl and beat well for a minute or two. Fold in the fruit and turn the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Level the surface using a knife and decorate the cake with circles of blanched almonds, candied pineapple and glacé cherries.

Bake for just over 2 hours. Check from time to time and, if the cake starts to burn, loosely cover it with a piece of foil. Insert a skewer into the centre of the cake to check it is cooked through. Leave in the tin for 30 minutes and then turn out onto a rack and leave to cool.

Mix the icing sugar with a little water and gently pour this over the top of the cake to make a glaze.

The cake can be made at least a week before Christmas and will keep for a good week or two.