Break the bread into small pieces and put these into a large bowl. Pour the milk over the bread and allow to stand for about half an hour.

Put the flour into a small bowl and mix in the baking powder, chopped vegetable suet, lemon rind and spice.

Squeeze as much milk as possible out of the bread into a separate bowl. Beat all the lumps out of the bread with a fork, or whisk.

Stir the flour and suet mixture into the bread, along with the dried fruit and the sugar.

Add the beaten egg and the reserved milk to the bread and fruit mixture.

Pour the bread and fruit mixture into a well-greased, ovenproof baking dish, or tin. Stand the dish, or tin, in a roasting pan and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

Put the bread pudding into a preheated oven, 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, and cook for MM hours.

Allow the pudding to cool slightly, before turning out onto a serving plate, if serving hot, or onto a wire cooling rack to allow to cool, before cutting into squares and serving like a cake.