Darlings soak the dried fruit in orange juice for approximately one hour, then immediately drain. Or if you'd rather make the alcoholic version, then please soak the fruit in any rum or brandy for a good week or longer

Preheat your oven to 180*C / 160*C Fan / 350*F / gas mark 4

First off, prepare your cake tin and grease with butter. Then line the base with greaseproof paper

Zest the orange and lemon

Combine in a large saucepan: butter, fruit, sugar, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, bicarbonate of soda, water and zest of lemon/orange

Now darlings, bring to the boil for a couple of minutes – be careful not to scald oneself! Stir and combine the ingredients with a wooden spoon, then leave to cool down for ten minutes or so

Add the eggs, one at a time to the slightly cooled mixture, and beat well with a wooden spoon - How exhilarating!

Sift the plain and self-raising flour, then add to the saucepan and mix well

Okey dokey, if you fancy a rather moist cake, then squeeze the juice of half an orange into the mixture and give it another jolly good stir!

​With a steady hand pour into the prepared cake tin - there's a good darling!

Now, the following instruction will stop the sides of the cake tin from becoming too hot, thus burning your cake. So, please fold the sheets of newspaper (2 at a time) in half, then half again. Wrap the folded paper around the tin. Tie with string

Place on the middle shelf and bake for approximately 1 hr to 1.5 hrs – depending on your oven. To protect your cake from browning too quickly on top, cover half-way through with a sheet of foil

Your cake is ready when it’s firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean. When cool turn out onto a wire rack