Traditional Christmas Cake

Traditional Fruit Cake

1. Pre-heat the oven.
2. Weigh the raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries, mixed peel and almonds into a bowl.
3. Add the flour, stir to combine and set aside.
4. Line a 20cm/8" deep, round cake tin with parchment or insert a baking liner.
5. Put the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.
6. Break the eggs into the bowl one at a time, and beat well ensuring it is well incorporated before adding the next.
7. Add the brandy or apple juice, mixed spice, the lemon rind and the juice to the bowl and beat again.
8. Stir in the prepared fruit.
9. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin, pushing it down and smoothing the top.
10. Bake for 2 - 2¼ hours.
11. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 12 hours.
12. Carefully remove the cake from the tin.
13. When quite cold, wrap the cake in aluminium foil and store it in an airtight tin.

Marzipan Icing

1. Warm the apricot jam and spread it over the cold cake.
2. Cut off a quarter of the marzipan and roll it into a 20cm/8" circle, put the cake tin in the marzipan and cut around the tin.
3. Lift the marzipan circle onto the top of the cake.
4. Roll the remaining marzipan into a 40cm/16” circle.
5. Carefully lift the marzipan onto the cake allowing it to cover the top and sides of the cake.
6. Press and shape the marzipan to cover the cake. A cake smoother can help with this but is not essential.
7. Trim away any excess marzipan around the base of the cake.
8. Loosely cover the cake and leave it for at least 12 hours for the marzipan to set.
9. Wrap the cake in aluminium foil and store in an airtight tin until you are ready to add the icing.

Fondant Icing

1. Lightly dust a clean work surface with icing sugar.
2. Roll the fondant icing into a 40cm/16” circle.
3. Carefully lift the fondant icing over the marzipan allowing it to take the shape of the cake.
4. Press and smooth until it is flat on the top and sides of the cake. A cake smoother will help get the icing very flat.
5. Trim away any excess icing around the bottom of the cake.
6. To store the cake, wrap it in parchment and a double layer of aluminium foil before storing it in an airtight container where it will keep for several weeks.
7. Decorate the cake with small pieces of edible gold leaf and a ribbon, or other decoration of your choice.