Marzipan Cake

Marzipan Cake

Ingredients

140g /5oz butter, cut into pieces

175g /6oz light muscovado sugar

250ml /9fl oz orange juice (3-4 medium oranges)

200g /8oz ready-to-eat dried apricots quartered

100g /4oz raisins

50g /2oz citrus peels, finely chopped

175g /6oz marzipan

300g /10oz flour

2 tsp baking powder

2tsp mixed spices

2 eggs, lightly beaten

50g /2oz flaked almonds

Method

1-    Heat oven to 160c /140gas. Butter and line the base of a 900g /21lb loaf tin with non-stick paper. Put the butter, sugar, orange juice, dried fruits and peel into a large pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring to melt the butter. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then leave to cool for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, shape the marzipan into small balls.

2-    Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into the pan, add the eggs and almonds, and stir together with a wooden spoon.

3-      Spoon half the cake mixture into the tin, then arrange the marzipan balls evenly over the top. Cover with the remaining cake mix, then smooth the top and bake for 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours until the cake is golden brown and springs back when presses lightly. Insert a fine skewer into the center of the cake –if it comes dry with just few crumbs sticking to it, the cake is cooked. Leave to cool for 15 minutes in the tin, then turn out into a wire rack, remove the paper and leave it to cool completely.