Cake Angels: Amazing gluten, wheat and dairy free cakes. Julia Thomas

(1½lb) Dr. Oetker ready-to-roll icing

      equipment

      20cm (8 inch) deep round cake tin

      * Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3. Grease the cake tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.

      * Melt the dairy-free spread, cranberry juice and honey in a large heavy-based saucepan.

      * Stir in the sour cherries, glacé cherries, raisins and sultanas, bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes, when the fruit should be plump and luscious.

      * Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will fizz furiously for a while. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

      * Fold the flour, xanthan gum, ground almonds, nutmeg and candied peel with a large metal spoon into the fruit mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level with the back of a dessert spoon.

      * Tear off a piece of baking parchment large enough to cover the top of the tin and halfway down the side of the tin. Cut a small circle out of the middle of the paper. Lay the paper over the top of the tin and tie it in place with string. Wrap a sheet of brown paper round the tin again, tying in place with string. This is to protect the cake during the long baking time. Place on a baking tray because a small amount of grease will seep out the bottom of the tin.

      * Bake in the preheated oven for 2½ hours or until a metal skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave in the tin to cool for 1 hour.

      * Run a knife round the collar of the cake, remove the cake from the tin and leave to finish cooling on a metal cooling rack.

      * When completely cool, pierce the surface of the cake with a metal skewer and feed with a couple of tablespoons of brandy.