This traditional Easter fruit cake is a personal favourite mainly because it’s topped with toasted marzipan and also cooked with a layer of marzipan inside. The top is traditionally decorated with 11 marzipan balls to represent the 12 apostles (minus Judas), however I personally prefer to make a marzipan plait but you can decorate with chocolate eggs if you like. Either way it’s a great almond cake that gives you a chance to use up the marzipan and bags of fruit left over from the Christmas cake…
Cooking Time: 1hr 45mins (Pre heat the oven to 150c)
You Will Need: A 20cm or 8’ cake tin lined with greaseproof paper.
Ingredients:
250g Butter
250g Dark Soft Brown Sugar
250g Plain Flour
4 Eggs
Pinch Salt
1.5 tsp Mixed Spice
450g Raisins & Sultanas
70g Mixed Peel
1 Lemon Zest
Apricot Jam
450g Marzipan
Method:
1) Cream the butter and the sugar together in a bowl.
2) Mix in the eggs one at a time
3) Add the flour, salt and mixed spice and mix in
4) Finally add the raisins, sultanas, mixed peel and zest of a lemon mixing for a final time
5) Place half the mixture into your prepared tin and spread out flat
6) Next add a layer of marzipan to the uncooked mix leaving a 1cm space around the edge.
7) Next add the remaining mixture on top of the marzipan and level off the top. Place into the pre-heated oven and cook for 1hr and 45mins.
8) Once cooked leave out to cool before pasting the top of the cake with a hot apricot jam (40 seconds in a microwave should be enough). Whilst the apricot is sticky add a layer of marzipan and any marzipan decorations you wish to add to the top. Place the cake under a hot grill until the marzipan starts to turn a golden brown.
9) Again leave to cool before adding any chocolate eggs or serving with a cup of tea.
