I adapted the waitrose recipe:
300g mixed fruit, raisins and sultanas
200g glacier cherries chopped into quarters
150g chopped peel
1/2 zest of a lemon
1/2 zest of an orange
5tbsp orange blossom water (can use Cointreau)
175g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
75g light brown sugar, extra to sprinkle
2 heaped teaspoons from a jar of Bart ginger in sunflower oil
3 medium eggs beaten
225g plain flour
1tsp ground nutmeg (preferably freshly ground)
2tsp ground mixed spice
500g pack golden marzipan
Apricot jam (or ginger syrup)
Icing sugar
1) mix all the dried fruits and zest in a bowl with the orange blossom water and leave to stand for 1 hour. Grease and line a deep 18cm cake tin. Preheat oven to 150•C, gas mark 2.
2) put the butter, sugar and ginger in a large bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs adding a little flour if the mixture starts to curdle. Stir in the flour and spices, then the dried fruit with any juices left in the bowl. Mix well. **mixture was a bit stiff so I added a little milk**
3) using about a quarter of the marzipan, make 11 balls (to represent the 11 faithful disciples of Christ) and set aside. Shape half of the remaining marzipan into a ball and roll out onto the surface dusted with icing sugar. (dust rolling pin also!) * I used a silicone baking sheet to measure an 18cm circle! Spoon half the cake mixture into the tin and spread in an even layer. Lay the marzipan over the cake mixture, press down gently. Spoon the remaining cake mixture on top and spread with the back of a spoon.
4) bake for about 2 and a half hours (or until a skewer comes out clean) leave to cool in the tin.
* I have a brand new fan assisted oven which tends to be hotter so after 2 hours I placed aluminium foil over the top to prevent burning and I put the cake on a lower rack to prevent the top “splitting” I lowered the temperature of the oven to 140-140•C making sure the top of the cake was positioned in the centre of the oven. The cake was baked for a further hour (3 hours in total) * when using a skewer to test if the cake is cooked in the centre bear in mind that the melted marzipan will stick to it! … My cake turned our perfectly like this, it had risen and cracked slightly but the cake sinks again after cooling. To prevent a “dome” appearance on the top of the cake a small hole can be made in the centre of the cake prior to baking.
5) leave the cake to cool for about an hour and a half then transfer onto a baking sheet. Brush the top with apricot jam (or ginger syrup). Roll out the remaining marzipan and press down onto the top of the cake. Pinch decoratively around the edges or trim to fit the cake. Use apricot jam, or ginger syrup, NOT water, to smooth any bumps around the edges. Arrange the marzipan balls on top brushing with apricot jam or ginger syrup to stick in place securely! Place under a medium grill to turn “golden”, if it turns dark on one side and not the other then cover the darker side with foil and return to the grill until its all golden. * I chose not to grill mine at all!
6) transfer to a plate or a cake board, decorate with sugar flowers, dust with light brown sugar and decorate with ribbon.
My four year old daughter Rebecca helped with the mixing and pouring and had a lot of fun 🙂 Rebecca chose the flower decorations and wanted there to be a white one in the middle! I thought this was a good idea (white being a pure colour, the colour of “light” and different from the rest of the blue ones) – the centre white flower represents Christ in the centre of his disciples!
franniebakes 