Last minute Christmas cake

• mixed dried fruit1kg kg
• lemon↗1

  zested and juiced

• sherry↗150ml ml

  plus 3 tbsp

• butter↗250g g
• light muscovado sugar↗200g g
• plain flour↗150g g
• ground almonds↗75g g
• baking powder↗½ tsp tsp
• mixed spice2 tsp tsp
• whole almonds↗75g g
• crystallised ginger↗40g g

  roughly chopped (optional)

• eggs↗4

  beaten

• smooth apricot jam↗2 tbsp tbsp
• marzipan disc↗20cm cm

  (about 1/2cm thick)

• fondant icing disc20cm cm

  (about 1/2cm thick), plus cut-out fondant stars or other festive shapes

• bow

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Put the dried fruit in a large pan with the lemon zest and juice, 150ml sherry, butter and sugar. Bring to a simmer over a medium-low heat and cook for 8 mins. Tip the mixture into a large heatproof bowl to cool for 30 mins-1 hr.

2. 2

   Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line the base and sides of a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment. Stir the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, mixed spice, whole almonds, ginger and eggs into the fruit mixture until well combined. Tip into the tin, level the surface and bake for 2 hrs-2 hrs 30 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.

3. 3

   Remove from the oven, poke all over using a skewer and pour over the 3 tbsp sherry. Cool fully in the tin, then remove and peel off the baking parchment.

4. 4

   To decorate, if you like, warm the apricot jam over a low heat or in the microwave in short bursts, then brush this over the cake. Smooth the marzipan disc over the top and down the side, then brush over another layer of jam. Smooth over the fondant icing disc, then leave to set before decorating with stars or other shapes (you can use a little more jam to stick these on). If you like, top with a bow. Will keep in an airtight container for a few weeks.