Step 1

Preheat the oven to very slow, 120°C. Grease a deep 22cm-round cake pan or a 19cm-square cake pan, cover the base and side with 2 layers of brown paper and 2 layers of baking paper, bringing the paper 5cm above the edge of the pan.

Step 2

Combine the dried fruit, nuts, sherry, vanilla and sugar in a large bowl. Combine the butter and milk in a small saucepan, stir over the heat, without boiling, until the butter melts.

Step 3

Add the butter mixture, eggs and sifted dry ingredients to the fruit mixture and mix well.

Step 4

Spread the cake mixture into the prepared pan. Bake in a very slow oven for about 5 hours.

Step 5

Cover hot cake with foil; cool in pan.