Ingredients

• 80g/2¾oz golden syrup
• 80g/2¾oz black treacle
• 50g/1¾oz honey
• 250g/9oz dark brown sugar
• 200ml/7fl oz double cream
• 15g/½oz (about 2 tbsp) mixed spice
• 250g/9oz unsalted butter
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 6 medium free-range eggs
• 350g/12oz currants
• 350g/12oz raisins
• 350g/12oz chopped pitted prunes
• 350g/12oz glacé cherries or more dried fruit
• 500g/1lb 2oz strong white flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• brandy
• whisky or orange juice
• for feeding the cake
• 2 tbsp apricot jam
• boiled and sieved
• 200g/7oz finely ground pecans
• or half walnuts and half pecans
• 100g/3½oz icing sugar
• 125g4½oz soft brown sugar
• 3 free-range egg yolks
• 2 tsp liquid glucose
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp glycerine
• 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 300g/10½oz icing sugar
• 50g/1¾oz butter
• 25ml/1fl oz double cream
• 25ml/1fl oz brandy

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3 and line a 25cm/10in round
• deep cake tin with non-stick paper.
• Place the syrup
• treacle
• honey
• sugar
• cream and spices in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl
• add the butter in pieces and stir until melted
• then add the orange and lemon extracts.
• Beat in the eggs until smooth
• then stir in the fruit. Mix the flour and soda together
• then stir this through evenly.
• Spoon into the tin and bake for about 2-2½ hours
• or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin
• then carefully remove from the tin.
• When cold
• spoon the top liberally with brandy
• whisky or boiled orange juice
• wrap well and leave in a cool
• dark place for 3-4 days before icing.The cake will keep for up to 3 months and should be ‘fed’ (covered with brandy
• whisky or boiled orange juice every 4-5 days).
• For the pecan marzipan
• combine the ground pecans and icing sugar in a bowl and mix together.
• In a saucepan
• whisk together the brown sugar
• egg yolks
• glucose
• honey
• glycerine
• cinnamon and vanilla
• then cook over a low heat whisking constantly until pale
• light and piping hot.
• Pour this over the pecan mixture and stir well to make a smooth paste. Leave to cool
• then wrap in cling film.
• To cover the cake in marzipan
• first lightly knead the marzipan so it’s smooth then roll it out on a worktop dusted with icing sugar. Roll the marzipan into a disc about 1cm/½in thick and 1-2cm/½-1in wider than the diameter of your cake (check the marzipan isn’t sticking to the worktop by dusting underneath it again with icing sugar).
• Brush the top of the cake with the sieved jam then leave a few minutes for it to set. Turn the cake upside down onto the marzipan and wiggle it gently so the top is stuck firmly.
• Trim any excess marzipan leaving a 2cm/1in border. Using a knife
• gently press up into the gap caused by the curve of the cake
• then scrape it up smoothly so it is level with the side of the cake.
• Carefully turn the cake the right way up and you should be left with a perfectly flat top surface and straight sides.
• Wrap the cake in cling film and leave to dry in a cool
• dark place for 4-5 days.
• For the brandy butter icing
• measure the icing sugar into a bowl
• then melt the butter for a few seconds in the microwave or in a small pan over a low heat
• taking care not to burn it.
• Pour the melted butter with the cream and brandy into the sugar and mix until smooth.
• Spread the icing onto the top of the cake and make small peaks using a knife. Set aside for a few hours
• or until the icing has set.
• Dust with icing sugar before serving.