Simnel Cake from Andrée

• 400 g marzipan
• 175 g butter
• 150 g brown sugar
• 300 g mixed fruit
• 200 g currants
• 225 g high grade flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp orange rind, grated finely
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup brandy or orange juice
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• apricot jam

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Line and grease a 20cm round cake tin with 2 layers of paper. Preheat oven to 150°C.

Put the fruit mix into a bowl with 1/4 cup brandy or orange juice, and leave to soak.

Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the dry ingredients together.

Add the dry ingredients to the fruit mixture and then into the creamed butter/sugar mixture. Add the 1/4 cup milk if the mixture seems too dry.

Spoon half the mixture into the cake tin. Roll out 1/3 of the marzipan or a bit more into a circle to fit the tin. Lay it in the tin and cover with the remaining mixture.

Bake for approximately 2 hours. Test for doneness. Leave in the tin for at least 10 minutes before turning out.

When cold, brush with heated apricot jam and lay another circle of marzipan over. Make 11 small balls out of the residual marzipan. Stick around the edge of the cake using jam for glue. Place on the middle shelf in the oven under the grill for approximately 30 seconds, watching closely to prevent burning.