Mulled fig and apple Christmas cake

Method

1. Put the dried fruit and figs in a large bowl and cover with the cider. Cover and set aside at room temperature to soak overnight.
2. Heat the oven to 160°C fan/gas 4. Grease the cake tin with butter, then line the base and sides with baking paper so it reaches 5cm above the tin.Line the outside of the tin with another tall/wide piece of baking paper, securing with string. Set aside on a baking sheet. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, spices and a pinch of salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs gradually, mixing between each addition until fully combined. Fold in the flour mixture, then add the soaked fruit, any leftover cider in the bowl and the dried apple slices.
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4. Scrape the batter into the tin, level out with a slight dip in the centre and put in the oven. Bake for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 140°C fan/gas 3 and bake the cake for another 1-1¼ hours, checking after 50 minutes and covering with a sheet of baking paper if it’s getting too dark. It’s ready when a skewer pushed into the middle comes out with only a few damp crumbs on it.
5. Put the tin on a wire rack to cool slightly, then use a skewer to poke a few small holes in the top of the cake. Pour over 1 tbsp rum, brandy or calvados. Once completely cool, remove the cake from the tin, wrap baking paper around it, then wrap in foil. Store in an airtight container, feeding the cake once a week with 1 tbsp rum/brandy/calvados until you want to decorate and eat it.
6. When ready to decorate, roll out the marzipan into a 3mm thick sheet on a surface lightly dusted with cornflour. Lay the marzipan over the cake and use a small sharp knife to trim it into a neat circle on top. In a small bowl, combine some gold shimmer with a drop or two of alcohol and use a paintbrush to paint the edible gold paint onto the marzipan. Set aside to dry for 15 minutes.
7. Roll out the icing/sugarpaste until 5-7mm thick on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar. Use the base of your cake tin to cut out a 20cm circle, then use a star cutter to cut out stars in a pattern of your choice. If you’d like gold lines too, as on our cake, cut out two slim lines of icing, each a third of the way across the icing, using a long sharp knife. Lay the icing on top of the marzipan and press lightly to stick. If you like you can also paint the inside edge of the stars and lines with the gold paint for extra pizzazz.