your friends will be talking about for years...
Ingredients:
290g Raisins
150g Dried currants
180g Pitted Dates
125g slivered almonds - I actually don't use the peel or almonds, as my family do not like them.
230g mixed glace citris peel - As a substitution I use 350-400g of the above mixed dried fruits.
120ml Brandy - I also do use up to 250ml here, but this is also variable.
60g plain flour
250g plain flour (additional)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
225g butter
440g brown sugar
6 eggs180ml treacle or golden syrup
180ml apple juice
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine cherries, peel, raisins, currants, dates, almonds. Stir in brandy - leave (preferably overnight) at least 2 hrs. Then stir through the 60g flour.
2. Preheat oven 140 degrees C (275F). Grease an 8x8x3 inch cake pan - or just use canola spray. I actually divide my mixture in half and make 2 cakes. This is totally up to you. My cakes come out smaller, but I prefer them this way. You also need to line the bottom of the tin with greasproof paper, & spray or grease again.
4. In a very large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together syrup & juice. Alternately, beat in juice/syrup and flour into butter mixture in 3-4 additions.
5. Fold in floured fruit. Pour into battered tin.
6. Bake in oven for 3 to 3 & half hrs or until skewer comes out clean. I bake my 2 cakes separately, 2 hrs each - I only do this cause I have the one tin.7. Remove from pan, gently lift off paper and allow to cool. When cake is completely cooled, wrap in waxed paper (I also wrap my in foil, over the waxed paper) & store in an airtight container.
STORAGE: Cake can be stored up to 2 months before use, I usually make mine (now), in October....but somehow by mid november, most of it is gone!!!! So, I do make another 1 in November. 
