Traditional Christmas Cake

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Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 170C/325F/dgas mark 3. Grease and double line with greaseproof paper a 20cm/8" round cake tin. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well between each addition. If the mixture curdles, beat in a tsp of flour. Beat in the treacle.

Sift the flour with the baking powder and spices, then fold into the butter mixture, add the orange rind and zest. Fold in the fruit and nuts then place the mixture in the prepared tin.

Bake in the oven for 2 1/2 hours or until a skewer is clean after testing the cake in the middle. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Store the cake in an airtight tin container for several months. If wished, feed the cake several times while it matures. Prick the surface of the cake with a cocktail stick and pour over a little brandy or rum, re-wrap.

The cake should be covered with marzipan approximately one week before being iced. Roll out the marzipan on a surface dusted with a little icing sugar to a 33cm/13" round. Brush the cake with apricot conserve then lay the marzipan over the cake. Press around the sides, then trim off any excess around the base with a sharp knife. Leave to dry in a cool, dry place for 1-5 days.

To ice the cake, make up the icing as directed on the pack. Either spread evenly over the marzipan covered cake or rough ice and decorate as desired.

If piping a decoration, you will need a second batch of icing. When piping a decoration try to pipe in stages, adding silver balls or any other decoration as you go as the icing dries quickly and they will not stick.