1.     For a Christmas cake  you’d normally have to line the cake tin profusely, then wrap the tin in brown paper. This is a kerfuffle.  I have discovered that if you use a silicone case (you will need to pop this into a metal one so that your cake keeps the shape) you do not need to line a thing.  After you place the mixture in the case, you simply wrap everything in a single layer of brown paper, cut a cross in the top, and pop it into the oven.  Smart stock these silicone moulds, and so do many other kitchen shops. If in London check the ones at Habitat: they’re very good.  For this cake you can use a 20cm round or large loaf one.

2.     The dry fruits: I prefer sultanas because they’re soft, gooey, absorb alcohol and keep it in while the cake is cooking. I have also tried to use other dried fruits such as dates and prunes, but they turn too mushy in a cake like this. You can also go for raisins but the ones we find in Malta are way too dry. I’ve used raisins from India and they were lovely, but most of us have no plans to go get our raisins from there. So stick to the sultanas: Lidl have cheap (and good) ones. Smart's yellow ones are also nice.

3.     Glace cherries: the ones from Fortnum and Mason (better quality, better value for money) in London, or online. The ones ‘tal-grocer’ are usually punched in and the green ones are as fake and ugly as anything.

4.     ‘Orange’ and ‘mixed’ peel are – ok, hold your breath now – usually mad of anything but real peel. I have never found the real stuff in Malta and if you know where I can buy some, please let me know. Meanwhile, I get mine from Albion Stores in Merchants Street Valletta. Albion also have huge bags of dried fruit. If you are lucky enough to be in Paris, stock up from the organic market at the Bastille on Sunday mornings.  They last for ages.

5.     Unlike other fruit cakes, this one only takes 3 hours to bake.  I use a fan-assisted oven. Please remember that non-fan ovens may need 10 more degrees and a slightly longer time. Convection ones take less.

6.     To test for ‘doneness’ I use a prong which I had bought from Lakeland It is blue and its tip turns red if the inside of the cake is cooked. It has never failed me. Nonetheless, if a skewer (or a tootpick) comes out smeared with gung, then you know your cake needs more time.

7.     The quality of the cognac: listen, you don’t have to use your finest 200-year old armagnac.  I use the cheapest I can find, and in this case, I mixed 150ml of Teacher’s with 50ml of nice calvados, which is apple brandy. The result was extraordinary

8.     If you do not cook very frequently, chances are the spices you will use will have had all their lovely oils (and fragrance) evaporated by now. Go to Arkadia’s veg section where they have spices by weight and buy enough mixed spice and cinnamon for this cake.

9.     I like to use Lurpak’s unsalted butter. It’s cheap and very reliable. I tried using Lidl’s once but the stuff is so crap it doesn’t even tell you whether it’s salted or not. Plus The Writer caught me out.

10. For walnuts and hazelnuts, go to Smart. as they stock large packs

11. Do not consider using anyting but Maltese lemons: they have the nicest oil, which resides in the zest.

12. My favourite chocolate for cooking is ICAM, which is available in most supermarkets. If you’re lucky, you can also use some high cocoa content Valhrona chocolate buttons.

13. Finally, for decoration, I like to use the same whole chrystallised fruits I buy from the Bastille Organic Market in Paris. Nobody eats icing these days. To gre-loss them, I heat some apricot jam and drizzle all over: it gels them together and makes everything shiny and nice. Just like Christmas.