500g mixed fruit
100g glace cherries, halved
Grated rind of one lemon
3tbsp brandy
175g butter
175g caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
225g plain flour, sieved
1tsp mixed spice
750g marzipan
1 egg white, beaten
Preheat oven to 170°C/Gas 3. Combine mixed fruit, cherries, lemon rind and brandy and leave to stand. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs gradually, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, spice and fruits and stir until thoroughly mixed, adding a little milk if necessary to give dropping consistency. Spoon half the mixture into a greased and lined cake tin (18cm). Roll out third of marzipan to size of tin and place on top of cake mixture. Top with rest of mixture and smooth. Cook for 1 hour then reduce temperature to 150°C/Gas 2 for further 1-1.5 hours, covering cake with greaseproof paper if browns too quickly. Once out, cool in tin. Rest of marzipan: a third as disk then rest into 11 balls. Brush with egg white and grill until browned.
