Inspiration for this recipe came from a combination of a traditional Easter Simnel Cake with The Dessert Deli Christmas Cake that feeds itself from the inside so you can decorate it straight away! Be warned though, you need to soak the fruit for 4-7 days in advance.

If you love marzipan this cake has a secret marzipan layer hidden in the middle.

Drunken Fruit Soak Ingredients

1 kg of a mixture of dried fruit according to your taste – such as:

Currants 275g

Raisins 250g

Sultanas 275g

Glacé Cherries (chopped and rinsed) 200g

250ml Port

170ml Orange Juice

Drunken Fruit Soak Method

Put the ingredients together in a bowl, stir well and cover, place in the fridge for between 4 and 7 days until the fruit has absorbed the liquid entirely. Stir at least once a day.

Allow fruit to come to room temperature on the last day before proceeding with the cake.

Cake Ingredients

250g Self raising flour

250g vitalite dairy free spread (or softened butter or your favourite cooking fat)

250g light soft brown sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp ground mixed spice

1/4 tsp salt

Bowl of drunken fruit (see above)

500g marzipan for the centre

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 150C(fan).

Grease a 23cm square deep cake pan. I prefer Silicone Moulds as I find I get a more uniform rise.

Sieve the dry ingredients and put all the ingredients into a bowl (except the drunken fruit and marzipan) and mix until smooth.  Add the drunken fruit and mix until combined.

Roll out the marzipan into a square to match the cake pan size. It doesn’t need to be very neat as it will be baked into the centre of the cake.

Put half of the batter in to the cake pan and then cover with the marzipan square. Fill up with rest of batter.

Place in the centre of the oven and bake at 150(fan) for 30 minutes (the top will be setting) then turn down to 130C(fan) and bake until a skewer comes out clean. This will take a further 1.5 – 2 hours.  Don’t test the cake until at least the extra hour mark so you don’t risk it sinking in the middle.

Cover the cake with a tea towel and allow to cool in the mould.

Turn out carefully onto a cake board once the cake is cold and decorate with marzipan and icing.

Good step by step instructions together with some creative ideas for cake decoration can be found in this book.