Festive fruit & nut cake

• butter↗250g g

  at room temperature

• light muscovado sugar↗140g g
• large eggs↗6

  beaten

• plain flour↗280g g
• ground almond↗85g g
• ground ginger↗2 tsp tsp
• ground cinnamon↗2 tsp tsp
• luxury mixed fruit↗700g g

  (including raisins, currants, sultanas, mixed peel and glace cherries)

• dark rum↗3 tbsp tbsp
• white marzipan↗140g g

  diced

• each whole skinned hazelnut50g g

  and blanched almonds

• each Brazil nuts85g g

  and flaked almonds

• whole glacé cherries↗140g g
• golden syrup↗100g g
• 1 metre of wide ribbon m

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C/gas 4/fan 160 °C and lightly grease and line the base and sides of a deep 22‑23 cm round loose‑based cake tin with butter or baking parchment (see instructions). Beat the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, ground almonds and spices until thoroughly mixed and creamy, preferably with an electric beater or food mixer.

2. 2

   Measure off 100 g/4 oz of the cake mixture, place it in a bowl and set aside. Fold the fruit and rum into the remaining mixture, then gently stir in the marzipan. Spoon this mixture into the prepared cake tin and flatten with a spatula to make a smooth even surface, then make a slight dip in the centre of the cake. This simple trick will give the finished cake a nice flat top. Bake for 1¼ hours.

3. 3

   While the cake is in the oven, make the fruit and nut topping. Mix all the nuts, cherries and syrup into the remaining cake mixture (see tip). Spoon the mixture onto the partially baked cake (after the 1¼ hours), evenly distributing it across the surface. Loosely cover the top of the tin with foil.

4. 4

   Return to the oven for another 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 10‑15 minutes, until the nuts turn golden. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. To test the cake, insert a fine skewer – if it comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool in the tin then turn out, keeping the lining on, and wrap with foil. (The cake will keep for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen for up to 2 months.)

5. 5

   To serve, remove the cake from the foil and strip away the lining. Place on a board or serving plate and tie with a decorative ribbon.