Eliza's Fruit Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups pitted prunes halved and soaked overnight in 4 tbsp brandy or whisky
• 250g butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 eggs
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit
• 2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1 cup raisins or sultanas
• 1/4 cup citrus peel chopped
• about 60 whole blanched almonds to decorate
• 1 1/2 cups ground almonds
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg lightly beaten