Guyanese Vermicelli Cake

My family came from Guyana, where the cuisine is influenced by Indian, Caribbean, Chinese, and African cultures. This dish is the Guyanese version of a traditional Indian dessert known as seviya kheer. The taste is similar to that of rice pudding, and it's great either warm or chilled.

Ingredients:
     12 oz (1 pack) vermicelli noodles
     12 oz (1 can) evaporated milk
     4 cups of regular milk
     1/2 stick butter
     1/2 cup of sugar 
     1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
     1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
     1 tsp almond essence
     1/2 cup of golden raisins
     Handful of maraschino cherries, chopped
Add the butter to a large pot on low heat. Once it has melted, break up the vermicelli noodles and add them to the butter. Stir frequently, allow the noodles to turn golden brown (this is called "parching"). Once most of the noodles are golden brown, add the evaporated milk, regular milk, sugar, almond essence, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Allow the noodles to simmer in the milk until they begin to soften. Add the raisins and cherries, and allow the milk to reduce. Once the noodles begin to stick together and most of the liquid is absorbed (it becomes like a thick pudding), remove the vermicelli from the heat and pour into a casserole dish. You can choose the dish size according to how thick you want the cake to be (usually about 1 1/2 inches). Allow the vermicelli to cool about 15-20 minutes, then place it in the refrigerator to set. Once it is set, cut into squares and serve.