Christmas Cake

225g (8oz) sultanas
225g (8oz) raisins
110g (4oz) candied peel, chopped
75g (3oz) stoned dates, chopped
75g (3oz) dried apricots, chopped
50g (2oz) currants
25g (1oz) crystallised ginger, finely chopped
275g (10oz) butter, softened
275g (10oz) soft light brown sugar
5 eggs
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
50g (2oz) ground almonds
275g (10oz) plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

For Darina Allen's almond paste
450g (1lb) ground almonds
450g (1lb) caster sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp brandy or Irish whiskey
A couple of drops of almond essence
Icing sugar, for dusting

To brush on the cake
1 small egg white, lightly beaten
2 egg yolks

You will need:
23cm (9in) diameter cake tin or 20 x 20cm (8 x 8in) square cake tin
Festive cutters

METHOD:

1. Place the dried fruit and the crystallised ginger in a bowl. Pour on the brandy or whiskey and allow to soak for at least 2 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F), Gas mark 2. Line the cake tin with greaseproof paper and wrap a collar of brown paper around the outside, which will help prevent the cake from drying out.

3. Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Stir in the orange zest and ground almonds, then sift in the flour and spices and fold in gently. Fold in the dried fruit and any brandy or whiskey left in the bowl. Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake tin. Bake in the oven for 21/2-31/4 hours (a round tin will take longer) until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cover the cake, still in the tin, with foil and allow to cool. Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin and cover again in foil until you are ready to cover it with almond paste.

4 Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F), Gas mark 7. To make the almond paste, mix the ground almonds and sugar together in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg, add the brandy or whiskey and the almond essence, then add to the dry ingredients and mix to a stiff paste; you may not need all the egg. Sprinkle the work surface with icing sugar, turn the almond paste out onto the surface and gently knead until smooth.

5 Remove the foil and greaseproof paper from the cake. Take about half of the almond paste and place it on a work surface that has been dusted with icing sugar. Roll out until it is about 1cm (1/2in) thick. Brush the top of the cake with the lightly beaten egg white and turn the cake upside down onto the almond paste. Cut around the edge of the cake, then carefully turn the cake the right side up with the lid of almond paste attached to the top.

6 Next, measure the circumference of the cake with a piece of string. Roll out two long strips of almond paste and trim both edges to the height of the cake with a palette knife. Brush the cake and the almond paste lightly with egg white and press the strip against the sides of the cake. Do not overlap or there will be a bulge. Use a straight-sided water glass to even the edges and smooth the join, and rub the cake well with your hand to ensure a nice flat surface.

7 At this stage, carefully place the cake on a large, oiled baking tray. Roll out the remainder of the almond paste approximately 5mm (1/4in) thick and, using festive cutters, cut out star, heart, holly or Santa shapes. Brush the whole surface of the cake with the beaten egg yolks and stick the shapes on top and around the sides, if you wish. Brush these with egg yolk as well.

8 Bake the cake in the oven for 10-20 minutes (not too near the top of the oven) until it is golden and toasted. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, then transfer to a serving plate.