Ingredients

• 300g/9oz dried apricots
• chopped
• 225g/8oz currants
• 255g/8oz sultanas
• 225g/8oz raisins
• 90ml/3½fl oz brandy
• 225g/8oz butter
• at room temperature
• 225g/8oz light muscovado sugar
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 350g/12oz glacé cherries
• halved
• rinsed and dried
• 2 oranges
• grated zest only
• 4 tbsp apricot jam
• for glazing

Directions

• Soak the chopped apricots and dried fruit except the cherries in the brandy in a bowl overnight - leave out in the kitchen and by the morning the fruit will have absorbed the brandy.
• Grease and line a 20cm/8in-deep round cake tin with a double layer of greased greaseproof paper or parchment paper. Pre-heat the oven to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a very large mixing bowl
• add the remaining ingredients
• including the dried fruit mixture
• and continue to mix until well blended.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread out evenly with the back of a spoon. Cover the top of the cake loosely with a double layer of greaseproof paper.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 3½ hours or until the cake is a pale golden colour
• feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Keep an eye on the cake and if it is getting too brown
• cover it loosely with foil. Allow the cake to cool in the tin
• then turn it out.
• The day before serving
• heat the jam in a pan until melted and strain through a sieve. Brush the cake all over with the sieved apricot jam for a shiny finish.