Ingredients

• 150g/5½oz mixed dried fruit
• such as sultanas
• raisins and currants
• 150g/5½oz dried cranberries
• 150g/5½oz pitted soft prunes
• 150g/5½oz pitted soft-dried dates
• 150g/5½oz dried figs
• 150ml/5fl oz brandy
• plus optional extra to ‘feed’ the cake
• finely grated zest and juice of ½ orange
• 150g/5½oz mixed whole nuts
• 150g/5½oz butter
• softened
• 150g/5½oz dark muscovado sugar
• 3 tbsp black treacle or date syrup
• optional
• 3 free-range eggs (at room temperature)
• beaten
• 150g/5½oz self-raising flour
• 3 tbsp ground mixed spice
• 4 tbsp apricot jam
• 750g/1lb 10oz ready to roll fondant
• 750g/1lb 10oz marzipan
• fondant water icing
• marzipan
• small coloured sweets or sprinkles

Directions

• Put the mixed dried fruit and cranberries in a bowl. Using kitchen scissors
• snip the prunes
• dates and figs into small pieces
• removing any stalks
• and drop into the bowl. Add the brandy and orange zest and juice
• and stir well to combine. Cover the bowl with a shower cap
• clingfilm or plate and leave to soak in a cool place for at least 12 hours or
• even better
• 2 days.
• When you’re ready to make the cake
• grease and line a 20cm/8in round loose-bottomed tin and preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• Spread the nuts on a baking tray and toast
• checking frequently to be sure they don’t burn
• for 5–10 minutes or until fragrant (you can skip the toasting
• but it really brings out their flavour). Cool
• then chop the nuts – I like them relatively chunky to contrast with the fruit. Turn the oven down to 140C/120C Fan/Gas 1.
• Using a hand-held electric whisk (it’s tricky to beat this small quantity in a free-standing mixer)
• beat together the butter and sugar for 5–10 minutes or until very light and creamy. Beat in the treacle or syrup
• if using. Gradually add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture
• beating well after each addition. Sift the flour and spice into the mixture and fold in. Finally
• stir through the soaked fruit
• with any liquid left in the bowl
• and the chopped nuts.
• Spoon the mixture into your prepared tin and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon dipped in hot water. Bake for 2¼–2½ hours or until the cake is firm to the touch and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Set the tin on a wire rack. If you want to ‘feed’ the cake
• leave it to cool for about 15 minutes
• then prick the top all over with a cocktail stick or skewer
• going about 3cm deep. Brush over about 1 tablespoon of brandy. Leave to soak in while the cake is cooling. Once the cake is cold
• remove from the tin and wrap in fresh baking parchment
• if you like
• and then in foil before storing in an airtight tin or container for at least 5 days before eating. You can repeat the feeding process weekly for up to 5 weeks.
• When you’re ready to finish the cake
• gently heat the apricot jam and spread over the surface of the cake. Roll out the marzipan to about the thickness of a pound coin and cover the whole cake. Roll out the fondant icing to the same thickness and cover the cake completely
• pressing down to smooth it out.
• Place your gingerbread man cutter/s on to the surface of your fully iced cake according to your desired arrangement. Press your cutter/s through the fondant and marzipan layers and remove the icing with the cutter still inserted to help give a cleaner outline. Add the gingerbread man features to the cut out shape using either cut out and shaped pieces of white fondant or fondant water icing placed in a piping bag. Marzipan shapes and sweets can be added on to an around your gingerbread man shapes for extra decoration.