Preheat your oven to 150C / 130C fan / Gas 2

Put a paper liner in a loaf tin approx 21 x 11 x 6 cm or line it with greaseproof or baking paper.

Put the currants, sultanas, mixed peel, cherries, chopped almonds and lemon zest in a bowl and stir in a little of the measured flour to stop them sticking together. Set aside.

Sift the rest of the flour with the salt then set aside.

In a large bowl and preferably using electric beaters, beat together the butter, sugar and almond extract until soft and light.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary during this and subsequent steps.

Beat in the eggs one at a time along with 1 tbsp of the measured flour each time.

Beat in the milk a tablespoon at a time with another scant tablespoon of the measured flour each time.

Gently fold in the rest of the flour along with the dried fruit mixture until everything is just combined.

Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top.

Cover the top with blanched almonds.

Put the tin in the oven and bake until a skewer comes out clean: approx 55-65 minutes.

Put the tin on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.

Take the cake, in its liner, out of the tin and leave until completely cold.

Remove the paper when cold, slice and serve.

Cake should keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container.