Cheat your Easter cake this year with this quick recipe
(17 votes)
Cook: 3 Hours
Serves: 26
Price: 55p per serving
Nutritional Information
Each 76g serving contains
Energy
1335kj
319kcal
1335kj
319kcal
16%
Fat
15.2g
15.2g
Med
22%
22%
Saturates
4.3g
4.3g
Med
22%
22%
Sugars
29.6g
29.6g
High
33%
33%
Salt
0.15g
0.15g
Low
3%
3%
of your reference intake.
Typical energy values per 100g:
1756kj/420kcal
Typical energy values per 100g:
1756kj/420kcal
Ingredients
175g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing.
175g dark brown soft sugar
3 eggs
175g self-raising flour
2tsp mixed spice
1tsp ground ginger
25g ground almonds
90g cherries, washed and dried, then quartered
90g stem ginger, finely chopped
90g sultanas
90g dried apricots, roughly chopped
90g dried cranberries
1kg natural marzipan
3 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 170C/150 Fan/Gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm round, deep cake tin.
2
Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Beat the eggs in, one at a time, then fold in the flour, spices, almonds, cherries, ginger and dried fruit. Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
3
On a surface dusted with icing sugar, roll the marzipan out to 3mm thick, then cut out a circle a fraction smaller than the inside of the tin. Place on top of the cake mixture, spoon over the remaining mixture, then level the surface.
4
Bake for 1hr 45mins – 2 hrs or until golden-brown, risen and firm in the middle – a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. If the top is getting too dark, cover with a circle of baking paper.
5
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 mins before turning out onto a rack.
6
Roll the remaining marzipan out to 3mm, then cut out a circle the same size as the cake. Brush the cake with warmed apricot jam, then lay the marzipan on top.
7
Roll the remaining marzipan into 13 balls and arrange evenly around the edge of the cake. Place under a hot grill or glaze with a blowtorch until the tops are just golden.