For the filling:

Melt butter in a frypan, then stir in semolina and cook over a moderate heat for 2 minutes until browning.

Add sugar & water and cook, stirring frequently until it forms a mass which comes away from the edges and leaves a wide band on the bottom of the pan when the spoon is pulled across it (about 5 minutes).

Stir in almond essence then cool pan in water.

For the cake:

Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time, continually mixing. Stir in vanilla essence.

Separately, mix together dry ingredients. Combine with wet ingredients then fold in the dried fruit.

Place half the cake mix in a 20cm lined and greased cake tin. Create a layer of the filling paste and then add the remaining half of the cake mix.

Bake at 150°C for 1 and 3/4 to 2 hours. While hot, dribble the sherry over the top.

Ice with pale green icing and decorate.