Step 1

Measure all the dried fruits and candied peel into a bowl, pour over the brandy and leave to soak for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, to allow all the fruits to soak up the brandy and plump up a little.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 160ºC (Fan assisted). Grease and line a 30 × 20cm (12 × 8 in) traybake tin with baking parchment or non stick paper.

Step 3

Using an electric hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, adding a little flour in between each one to help prevent curdling.

Step 4

Add the remaining flour, ground almonds, mixed spice, ready soaked dried fruits, washed and chopped cherries and mix well. Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared tin levelling the top.

Step 5

Bake for 35 – 40 mins or until baked with a golden brown colour. Always test the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean. Leave to one side to cool a little.

Step 6

While the cake is still warm, pour the 3 spoonfuls of brandy over the top of the cake allowing it to soak through. Leave the cake to cool completely before covering with Marzipan, or it will melt.

Step 7

Brush the top of the cake with the warm sieved apricot jam.

Step 8

Roll out the marzipan to a rectangle shape the same size as the top of the traybake. You can use the base of your cake tin as a guide. Rolling out the marzipan between two sheets of baking parchment will make the task a lot easier.

Step 9

Lay the marzipan on top of the cake, taking care as you do this as the Jam will be sticky. Patch up and smooth over any uncoved areas with pieces of Marzipan if needed. Press down gently. Neaten the edges with a serrated knife.

Step 10

Sieve the icing sugar then start to mix to a paste by adding 1 tablespoon of preboiled water. Keep adding the water a little at a time until you have a very thick pipeable mixture. If it is too thin and runny it will flood the cake.

Step 11

Add your icing mix to a piping bag with a not too thin nozzle and decorate across the top of the Marzipan in a zig zag pattern or how ever you wish. Leave to set before slicing into squares/bars.