Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy and pale in colour ... Add the essence if you are using it. Stir in the peel, raisins and half of the cherries.

Line a 20.5cm x 30.5cm cake ... all the fruit, candied peel and the ground and chopped almonds. Cream the butter until it’s really soft, then add in the caster sugar and beat until light and ...