- 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
- Preheat the oven to 170C/335F/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.