Makes one 20 cm (8 inch) cake

Set the oven to 180 °C / 350 °F / Gas 4. Grease and line a 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tin.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs together in a bowl set over a pan of hot water then beat into the butter mixture.

Sift together the flour, mace and baking powder and fold into the butter mixture, alternately with the treacle and ground almonds.

Mix the currants, cherries and peel together and stir into the mixture with the brandy and lemon juice. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth over the top.

Bake for 2 hours, covering the top with a piece of kitchen foil if it appears to be browning too quickly. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack.