Ingredients for 20 servings

Cake:

1tbsp black treacle
1tsp ground mixed spice
3 eggs
50g ground almonds
60g glace cherries
60g whole almonds, walnuts or pecans (optional)
85ml cooking brandy or cold tea
175g butter
175g dark brown sugar
175g self-raising flour
500g Tesco Luxury Dried Mixed Fruit
zest and juice of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon

Marzipan layer:

1tbsp sieved apricot jam
50g icing sugar
400g ready-made ready-rolled marzipan

Icing:

1 egg white
1tsp lemon juice
350g icing sugar

Directions

Remove zest from orange and lemon with a fine grater, and squeeze the juices. Put all zest and juice in a bowl with mixed dried fruit and glace cherries. Add the brandy or tea, cover with cling film and soak for a minimum of one hour or overnight.

Pre-heat the oven to 150°C, Gas Mark 3.

Grease and line a 20cm cake tin, preferably with a removable base.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar and black treacle until paler and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating each one in thoroughly before adding the next one. In another bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds and mixed spice and stir to mix thoroughly. Then add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and fold in gently until thoroughly combined.

Add the soaked fruit and all the juices, plus the nuts if liked. Fold gently together until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Turn the mixture into your prepared cake tin and flatten the surface. Place in the centre of the oven, and bake for 2 hours or until golden brown and springy to the touch. Use a sharp knife or skewer to test the cake. If there is still wet mixture on the blade, bake for another 20-30 minutes. It should come out clean.

When the cake is cooked, cool for an hour in the tin and then turn out onto a wire rack. You can pierce the cake all over with a skewer and add another tbsp brandy to soak in if liked.

The cake can be kept wrapped in foil or cling-film in a tin for up to 2 months. When you are ready to finish the cake, warm the apricot jam to soften, and brush over the whole cake. Dust the work surface with a little icing sugar, and roll out half the marzipan.