
Nutrition and extra info
- Undecorated cake can be frozen
Nutrition:
- kcal584
- fat20g
- saturates7g
- carbs97g
- sugars87g
- fibre2g
- protein6g
- salt0.32g
Ingredients
- 8 glacé cherries
- small holly sprigs, washed and dried
- 200g dark muscovado sugar
- 175g butter, chopped
Butter
butt-errButter is made when lactic-acid producing bacteria are added to cream and churned to make an…
- 700g luxury mixed dried fruit
- 50g glacé cherry
- 2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
Ginger
jin-jerMainly grown in Jamaica, Africa, India, China and Australia, ginger is the root of the plant. It…
- zest and juice 1 orange
Orange
or-angeOne of the best-known citrus fruits, oranges aren't necessarily orange - some varieties are…
- 100ml dark rum, brandy or orange juice
Rum
rhumRum is a type of spirit based on sugar cane. First produced in the 1600s on slave plantations in…
- 85g pecan
Pecan
pee-kanRelated to the walnut, pecans are native to America, and grow enclosed in a glossy, browny-red…
- 3 large eggs, beaten
Egg
eggThe ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition, packed with protein and a…
- 85g ground almonds
Almond
arr-mund or al-mundSweet almonds have a subtle fragrance that lends itself well to baking and also works well with…
- 200g plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
Baking powder
bay-king pow-dahBaking powder is a raising agent that is commonly used in cake-making. It is made from an alkali…
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Cinnamon
sin-ah-munA fragrant spice which comes from the inner bark of a tropical tree. When dried, it curls into…
- 250g pack marzipan, halved
Marzipan
mah-zuh-panOne of mankind’s oldest sources of sweet pleasure, marzipan needs to contain only ground…
- icing sugar, for dusting
- 2 tbsp warmed apricot jam
- 500g pack fondant icing sugar
Method
Tip the sugar, butter, dried fruit, whole cherries, ginger, orange zest and juice into a large pan. Pour over the rum, brandy or juice, then put on the heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring frequently to melt the butter. Reduce the heat and bubble gently, uncovered for 10 mins, stirring every now and again to make sure the mixture doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan. Set aside for 30 mins to cool.
Stir the nuts, eggs and ground almonds into the fruit, then sift in the flour, baking powder and spices. Stir everything together gently but thoroughly. Your batter is ready.
Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Butter and line the base and sides of a 18cm square tin with baking paper. Spoon the cake mix into the tin and level the top with a spoon dipped into boiling water. Bake for 45 mins, then turn oven down to 140C/120C fan/gas 1 and cook for 1 hr more or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Will keep well-wrapped in foil for 2 months or freeze for 1 year.
Carefully cut the square cake in half and trim the edges so that you see the texture of the cake on all sides. Roll out each piece of marzipan on a surface dusted with icing sugar until the size of the top of each cake.
Generously brush the top of the cakes with jam, place jam-side down on top of the marzipan, then trim away the excess marzipan with a sharp knife.
Make up the fondant icing to a spreading consistency, then spread on top of the cakes so that it slightly runs over the edges. Top with cherries and holly, then leave to set. Will keep in a plastic container in a cool place for 4-7 days.
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