Line a 10in round baking tin with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.

Place the raisins and sultanas in a colander and rinse well with hot water to remove any oils. Drain well and place in a large bowl and cover with two tablespoons of whiskey and the marmalade. Stir well to combine, and cover.

Rinse the cherries in a sieve to remove the sticky syrup. Dry the cherries on kitchen paper, then tumble them in flour. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large wide bowl until light. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well incorporated. Sieve the flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a bowl. Gradually add to the egg mix along with the remaining two tablespoons of whiskey and the ground almonds.

Fold the dried fruit and cherries into the cake batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, smoothing the top with the back of a tablespoon. Leave a slight dip in the centre so it rises evenly.

Next is the fun part. Arrange four almonds in the centre of the cake, then make four lines of almonds coming from each one to the side of the tin. Use this as a guide for arranging the remaining nuts on top of the cake. Bake for three hours until set and the cake is golden. Cover with paper over the top if the nuts darken too much. Leave to cool completely before cutting. It often tastes better after a few days, so let those flavours develop.

Wrap the cake well and store in an airtight tin. It keeps really well, up to three months if you continue to douse it with a little whiskey or brandy.