Ingredients:

1 kg mixed fruit (or 750g mixed fruit 250g mixed nuts): i use dried apricots, figs, raisins, dates, candied orange peel, cranberries and brazils, walnuts, pecans, cashews.

The zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon

150ml of your choice of alcohol; I use sloe gin, sherry, brandy or rum

250g vegan butter

200g brown sugar

4 tablespoons chia seeds mixed in 150ml hot water and left for 20 minutes

175g Shipton's soft cake and pastry flour or white spelt flour

100g almond flour or ground almonds

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons mixed spice

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

100g flaked almonds

1 teaspoon vanilla

Method

Heat oven to 150C. Line a 20cm round or square tin with a double layer of baking paper.

Put dried fruit, juice, zest alcohol, vegan butter and sugar in to a large pot over a medium heat. Mix, bring to the boil then lower the temperature and simmer for five minutes. Tip into a large bowl and cool for - approximately 30 minutes.

Add all the remaining ingredients and mix in well with a spoon.

Put into tin and wrap the tin completely with a double layer of newspaper and secure with a string. This stops the cake drying out in its long bake. Bake 2 1/2 hours in centre of oven.

When cooking time is up, leave the cake wrapped in paper while it is cooling.

More sloe gin, sherry, brandy or rum can be sprinkled on after pricking the top with a skewer when it is cool.