1
Start with the fruit. Pour the apple juice into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the butter, let it melt, then remove from heat and stir in the maple syrup and rum. Place the mixed fruit and cranberries in a large bowl, pour the hot rum mixture over them, then tightly cover with cling film and let sit overnight.
2
The next day preheat the oven to 160 °C/140 °C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 20 cm round deep cake tin with non‑stick baking parchment. Cream the butter and sugar together until creamy and pale, then gradually beat in the eggs until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. If the mixture starts to separate or looks curdled, add 1 tbsp flour and continue beating. Sift the flour, spices and ¼ tsp salt, and fold in using a large spoon. Add the orange zest, nuts, soaked fruit and the soaking liquid.
3
Pour the batter into the tin, smooth the top, then make a shallow depression in the centre with the back of a spoon. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 140 °C/120 °C fan/gas 1 and bake for another 1 hour 45 minutes or until the cake has risen, turned dark‑golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Place the tin on a cooling rack and let cool until warm.
4
To first feed the cake, use a cocktail stick to pierce the surface of the warm crumb. Stir together the rum and maple syrup, then slowly drizzle over the cake. Cool completely, then remove the baking parchment, loosely wrap the cake in clean baking parchment and store in an airtight jar. Feed the cake each week for 10 days until it is ready to be decorated.
5
To glaze and decorate your cake, see the 'goes well with' section for instructions on how to make our Midwinter candle cake, Sparkly bauble cake or Sparkling snowfetti cake.

Source: bbcgoodfood.com

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