Simnel cake

Method

1. A couple of hours before baking the cake, put the dried fruit, peel and cherries into a large bowl with the orange zest and brandy (you can use orange juice instead if you prefer) and stir together to combine. Set aside to allow the fruit to soak.
2. Heat the oven to 150°C/fan130°C/gas 2 and grease a deep 20cm cake tin generously with butter. Line the base and sides of the pan with a double layer of baking paper and set aside until needed.
3. Put the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat together with an electric mixer for around 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating until fully combined before adding more.
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4. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, ground almonds, a pinch of salt, cinnamon and mixed spice, then add to the butter mixture and beat together to combine. Add the fruit mixture to the cake batter and mix together with a wooden or metal spoon until evenly combined. Scrape half the cake mixture into the prepared tin and set aside.
5. Dust the work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out about a third of the marzipan into an 18cm diameter circle. Put this in the tin on top of the cake mixture. Scrape in the remaining cake mixture and level the top, making a slight depression in the middle (which will help the baked cake have a flat top). Bake in the oven for about 2½-2¾ hours until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. To decorate, dust the work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out about two thirds of the remaining marzipan into a 20cm wide circle. Brush the top of the cake with most of the warmed apricot jam and carefully place the marzipan disc onto the cake. Crimp the edges using your fingers, then roll the remaining marzipan into 11 small balls (see Know-how). Use the remaining apricot jam to stick the balls to the outer edge of the marzipan top.
7. To give the classic burnished finish, either place the cake under a hot grill for a few minutes until the marzipan starts to brown, or use a kitchen blowtorch to gently heat and brown the marzipan (see Know-how).