- 175g/6oz light muscavado sugar
- 175g/6oz butter, softened
- 175g/6oz self raising flour
- 3 large eggs
- 25g/1oz ground almonds
- 2 tbsp milk
- 100g/4oz sultanas
- 100g/4oz cherries, quartered, washed, and dried
- 100g/4oz dried apricots, snipped into small pieces
- 100g/4oz stem ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 450g/1lb golden marzipan
- 3 tbsp apricot jam
- 1 egg, beaten
- flowers such as primroses, narcissi or violets
- egg white
- caster sugar
- Preheat oven 160C/320F/Gas 3.
- Grease and line the base and sides of an 20cm/8in deep, round cake tin with baking parchment.
- Measure all the cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat well until thoroughly blended. Place half the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
- Take one third of the marzipan and roll into a circle the same size as the cake tin, place the circle on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the remaining mixture on top of the marzipan and level the surface.
- Bake for about one and three-quarter to two hours or until golden brown and firm in the middle. If toward the end of the cooking time the cake is getting too brown, loosely cover with a piece of foil. Allow the cake to cool in the tin before turning onto a cooling rack.
- When the cake is cool. Brush the top with a little warmed apricot jam. Roll out half the remaining marzipan to the size of the cake and sit it on the top. Crimp the edges of the marzipan and make a lattice pattern in the centre of the marzipan using a sharp knife. Make 11 even sized balls from the remaining marzipan and arrange around the edge.
- Brush with beaten egg and glaze under a hot grill for about five minutes, turning the cake round so it browns evenly, so the marzipan is tinged brown all over. (You can also do this with a blow torch if preferred)
- To crystallise the flowers, lightly whisk the egg white in a bowl then carefully brush over the flower petals.
- Sprinkle over caster sugar so the sugar sticks to the egg white. Leave to harden in a warm place, such as a shelf above a radiator or in an airing cupboard, until dry and firm.
- Carefully remove from the rack and arrange in the centre of the cake.