Ingredients
For the cake
dry powder : 175g
cherries of natural glacé : 350g
currants : 500g
sultanas : 350g
brandy or sherry, as well as other feeds : 150ml
oranges, only zest : 2
butter : 250g
light or dark muscovado sugar : 250g
eggs : 4
black treacle : 1 tbsp.
boiled almonds, chopped : 75g
plain flour : 275g
spices combined : 1½ tsp
Covering
apricot jam, warm and filtered : about 3 tbsp.
icing sugar
marzipan : 675g
For royal icing
eggs, only white : 3
icing sugar : 675g
lemon juice : 3 tsp
glycerin : 1½ tsp
Step 1
To get the cake, place all the dried fruit, including the cherries, in a large mixing bowl, pour over the brandy and add the orange zest. Cover with clingfilm and leave to soak for three days, stirring daily.
Step 2
Apply and apply 23cm / 9in tile to a deep, round and double layer of greased paper. Preheat oven to 140C / 120C Fan / Gas 1.
Step 3
Measure butter, sugar, eggs, treacle and almonds in a large bowl and whisk well (preferably with an electric free-standing mixer). Add the flour and ground spices and mix well until combined. Add the soaked fruit. Put a spoonful in the prepared cake tin and measure the surface.
Step 4
Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for about 4-4½ hours, or until the cake feels firm when touched and has a rich golden brown color. Check after 2 hours, and if the cake is fully colored, cover it with foil. The skewer placed in the center of the cake should come out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
Step 5
When cool, pierce the cake occasionally with a fine sieve and serve with a little extra alcohol. Coat a completely cold cake with a double layer of non-abrasive paper and wrap it in foil and keep it in a cool place for three months, occasionally soaking it with plenty of alcohol. (Do not remove the line paper when storing it as this helps keep the cake moist.)
Step 6
A week before you want to serve, start covering the cake.
Step 7
When closing, place the cake face down, flat side up, on a 5cm / 2in cake board larger than the cake size.
Step 8
Sprinkle the sides and top of the cake with warm apricot jam.
Step 9
Freely coat the working area with icing sugar and roll the marzipan 5cm / 2in larger than the surface of the cake. Continue to move the marzipan as you roll, checking that it does not stick to the work surface. Grease the working area with a lot of sugar if needed.
Step 10
Carefully lift the marzipan over the cake using a pin. Gently level and smooth the top of the pin, then lower the marzipan down the sides of the cake, smooth at the same time. If you are careful, you should be able to cover the cake without excess marzipan that you can cut but, if necessary, carefully cut the excess marzipan on the base of the cake with a small sharp knife. Cover the cake loosely with baking parchment and leave for a few days to dry before adding the royal crust.
Step 11
To get the royal crust, beat the white eggs in a large bowl until they froth. Mix one teaspoon of refined sugar at a time. You can do this with a hand-held electric whisk, but keep the speed low.
Step 12
Add the lemon juice and glycerin and beat the icing until it is firm and white and set on top.
Step 13
Cover the top of the icing tightly with clingfilm and keep in a cool place until needed.
Step 14
To ice the cake, place all the crust on top of the cake. Spread evenly over the top and sides of the cake with a pallet knife. To get a high-gloss effect, use a small pallet knife to scrape off the crust.
Step 15
Leave the cake covered lightly overnight to make the crust a little firmer, then wrap it or store it in an airtight container in a cool place until necessary.
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