1. Bottom oven 100C
2. Shelf between middle and bottom set of runners
3. This mixture makes one 8” round and one 6” round cake
4. Grease and carefully double line the tins with greaseproof paper
5. Wash and dry fruit. Put into large saucepan with prunes or apricots. add sherry, juice and grated rind of orange and lemon. Stir over gentle heat until mixture starts to steam.
6. Turn into bowl, cool, cover and leave overnight. Add cherries and walnut pieces to fruit mixture.
7. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
8. Sieve all dry ingredients together and add 4 tablespoons to creamed mixture. Gradually beat in eggs adding more flour if mixture starts to curdle
9. Fold in remaining flour. Beat in jam and treacle with wooden spoon. Fold in fruit and nut mixture. Turn into cake tims and bake until cooked.
10. The cooking times of rich fruit cakes vary enormously – a very rough guide is an hour an inch. Test with skewer and when cooked remove from oven and sprinkle the remaining sherry over cakes whilst still hot.
11. Wrap completely with clean tea towels and leave to cool in tin for 24 hours. Remove cake from tin and wrap in two layers of foil, ensuring they are airtight.

Do not remove the greaseproof paper the cakes were cooked in until you are ready to marzipan them.