Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 5½ oz mixed dried fruit, such as sultanas, raisins and currants
• 5½ oz dried cranberries
• 5½ oz pitted soft prunes
• 5½ oz pitted soft-dried dates
• 5½ oz dried figs
• 5 fl oz brandy, plus optional extra to 'feed' the cake
• finely grated zest and juice of ½ orange
• 5½ oz mixed whole nuts
• 5½ oz butter, softened
• 5½ oz dark muscovado sugar
• 3 tbsp black treacle or date syrup, optional
• 3 free-range eggs (at room temperature), beaten
• 5½ oz self-raising flour
• 3 tbsp ground mixed spice
• 4 tbsp apricot jam
• 1 lb 10 oz ready to roll fondant
• 2 lb 4 oz marzipan
• 4 tbsp mincemeat
• small sprig holly leaves
• glace cherries or cranberries

Method

1. Snip the prunes, dates and figs into small pieces with kitchen scissors and combine them with the mixed dried fruit and cranberries in a bowl.
2. Stir the brandy and the orange zest and juice through the fruit, cover the bowl and leave the mixture to soak in a cool place for at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
3. Grease and line an 8-inch round loose-bottomed tin and heat the oven to 350°F on the baking day.
4. Toast the mixed nuts on a baking tray for 5 to 10 minutes until fragrant, checking them often, then cool and chop the nuts roughly.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F once the nuts are out.
6. Beat the softened butter and muscovado sugar with an electric whisk for 5 to 10 minutes until very light and creamy, then beat in the treacle or syrup if using it.
7. Add the beaten eggs to the pudding cake mixture a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Sift the flour and mixed spice over the bowl and fold them in, then stir through the soaked fruit with any remaining liquid and the chopped toasted nuts.
9. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, smooth the top with the back of a spoon dipped in hot water and bake the cake for 2¼ to 2½ hours until firm and a skewer comes out clean.
10. Cool the cake in its tin on a wire rack; for a fed cake, prick the top after 15 minutes and brush over about 1 tablespoon of extra brandy, then wrap the cold cake and store it in an airtight tin for at least 5 days.
11. Warm the apricot jam gently and spread it over the surface of the matured cake.
12. Roll out the marzipan and cover the cake, smoothing it down the sides, then roll out the fondant and cover the marzipan in the same way, trimming the base neatly.
13. Set a spoonful of mincemeat on top of the white fondant to suggest the pudding's sauce, and finish the cake with the holly sprig and glace cherries or cranberries.

Prep: 1 h · Cook: 2 h

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data