INGREDIENTS

METHOD

The Cake:

100g glacé cherries
225g softened butter
225g light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs
225g All Purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
225g sultanas
100g currants
50g chopped candied peel
2 lemons, zest only
2 level tsp ground mixed spice

Mixed Spice – Ground:

1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp coriander (optional)
1/4 tsp mace (optional)

For the filling and topping:

450g marzipan
2 tbsp apricot jam
1 large egg, beaten, to glaze

To decorate:

Optional: A handful of edible flowers

TIPS

For candied peel, I like to use dried oranges and cut the rind into small bits.

Glacé cherries can make a fruitcake taste a bit artificial, so omit them if desired and use something else. Feel to use anything you like: cherries, cranberries, apricots, pineapple… Chop everything into small bits.

You can usually find edible flowers at Whole Foods in the herb section.

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F. Grease a 20cm/8in deep round cake tin and then line the base and sides with baking parchment.

STEP 2

If using, cut the cherries into quarters, put in a sieve and rinse under running water. Drain well and then dry thoroughly on kitchen paper.

STEP 3

Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, to prevent them from curdling. Sift in the flour & baking powder and mix it in a little at a time. Stir the fruit, peel, zest and mixed spice thoroughly into the mixture. Place half the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.

STEP 4

Take one-third of the marzipan and roll it out to a circle the size of the tin and then place the circle on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the remaining cake mixture on top and level the surface.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 2½ hours until well-risen, evenly brown and firm to the touch. Cover with foil after one hour if the top is browning too quickly. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn out, peel off the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack.

STEP 5

When the cake is cool, warm the apricot jam in a small saucepan. Brush the top of the cake with a little of the jam and roll out half of the remaining marzipan to fit the top of the cake. Press firmly on the top and crimp the edges to decorate. Mark a criss-cross pattern on the marzipan with a sharp knife. Form the remaining marzipan into 11 balls.

Brush the marzipan with beaten egg and arrange the marzipan balls around the edge of the cake. Brush the tops of the balls with beaten egg, too, and then place the cake under a hot grill to turn the marzipan golden-brown.