2. Mix the peel, fruit, cherries, chopped almonds and lemon rind.
3. Whisk the eggs and milk/sherry/brandy together.
4. Cream the margarine, sugar and black treacle until soft.
5. Add flour and egg mixtures alternately to the marg. Stir in fruit mixture.
6. Put into an 8-9 inch tin, lined with double thickness of greased greaseproof paper round the sides and brown paper and greased greaseproof paper at the bottom.
7. Tie a double band of brown paper round the outside of the tin, standing well above the top of it.
8. Add almonds on top.
9. Bake for 3.5 hours at 300-350f 170c for first 1.5 hours, then reduce to 275-300f 150c for the remainder of the time.
