Snowflake Iced Fruit Cake
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(0 votes)
Difficulty:
moderate
Difficulty
Preparation:
3 h. 20 min.
Preparation
ready in 2 d. 3 h. 20 min.
Ready in
Ingredients
for
1
- For the cake
- 4 cups mixed Dried Fruit (currants, raisins, sultanas, etc.)
- 0.333 cup Candied fruit (chopped)
- ⅞ cup Orange liqueur
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 4 eggs (beaten)
- 1 ⅔ cups self-rising flour (sifted)
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- ½ tsp grated Nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped, fresh ginger
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- ½ cup Almond flour
- 1 unwaxed Orange (finely grated zest)
- To decorate
- 4 Tbsps Apricot Jam (or jelly)
- 1 Tbsp water
- 3 ¾ cups white Marzipan
- powdered sugar
- 3 ¾ cups white Sugar paste
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsps water (approx)
- edible, silver Bauble
Preparation steps
1.
Put the dried fruits, candied peel and liqueur in a large bowl and stir well. Cover and leave to soak for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
2.
Heat the oven to 150°C (130° fan) 300°F gas 2. Grease a 20cm|8" round deep cake tin and line the base and sides with a double layer of non-stick baking paper. Allow enough paper to stand at least 5cm|2" above the rim of the tin.
3.
Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until soft and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, alternately with a spoonful of flour. Stir in the remaining flour and spices until well mixed.
4.
Add the fruit, ginger, chopped and ground almonds and orange zest and stir well until combined.
5.
Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the surface.
6.
Bake for 2-2 1/4 hours until the top is firm and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with a double thickness of non-stick baking paper. Cool completely in the tin.
7.
Heat together the apricot jam and water until the jam has melted, then press through a sieve into a bowl.
8.
Brush the cake with the glaze.
9.
Roll out the marzipan on a surface dusted with icing sugar into a 30cm|12" round and lay over the cake, smoothing and pressing lightly to fit over the top and sides. Trim off any excess. Stand uncovered in a dry place for 24 hours.
10.
Repeat the process with the sugarpaste and cover the cake.
11.
Whisk together the royal icing sugar and water until thick enough to pipe.
12.
Spoon into a piping bag and pipe snowflakes on top of the cake, as in the photo.
13.
Decorate with silver baubles, as in the photo, attaching wiht a dab of icing. Leave to set.
