Ingredients
- 1 kg mixed dried fruit
- ¾ cup chopped dried figs
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 1 cup chopped glacé cherries
- 1 cup mixed peel
- ⅔ cup rum
- 375 g butter
- 1½ cups soft brown sugar
- 6 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup apricot jam
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 3 teaspoons mixed spice
Fondant icing
- 1 kg pure icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon gelatine
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup liquid glucose
- 1 tablespoon glycerine
- 1 cup pure icing sugar, extra
- 750 g marzipan
- ½ cup apricot jam, extra
- 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Method
1. Preheat oven to slow 150°C. Brush a 23 cm square cake tin with oil or melted butter, line base and sides with baking paper. Place all fruit in a large bowl, add rum, stir to combine thoroughly. Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar in a small bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add jam; beat until combined. Add butter mixture to fruit, stir to combine. Using a metal spoon, fold in sifted flours and spice until just combined. Spoon mixture evenly into prepared tin; sprinkle top with cold water, smooth with wetted hand. Tap cake tin gently on bench top to settle mixture. Wrap a double thickness of brown paper around tin and secure with a paper clip. Bake for 3½ hours or until skewer comes out clean when inserted in centre. Leave cake in tin until completely cold before turning out.
2. To make Fondant Icing: Sift icing sugar into large mixing bowl. In a small pan, combine gelatine with cold water. Add glucose, place over gentle heat until the gelatine has completely dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in glycerine. Cool 1 minute. Make a well in centre of icing sugar, pour in gelatine mixture. Use a wooden spoon, combine thoroughly. Knead by hand until mixture forms a firm, dough-like paste. Turn mixture onto a smooth surface lightly dusted with extra icing sugar. Knead well until smooth and pliable- mixture should resemble plasticine. Cover fondant securely with plastic wrap until required; do not refrigerate.
3. To cover the cake, place it upside down on large plate or covered board. Fill any small holes in surface with small pieces of marzipan. Warm and sieve jam; brush evenly over cake. Work the marzipan with hands until pliable, place on surface lightly dusted with icing sugar and roll out to 5 mm thickness. Lift onto cake with rolling pin, trim to fit cake and pinch corners to secure. Brush with egg whites.
4. Roll out fondant on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar until about 7 mm thick-try to roll out to the shape of the cake. Lift onto the cake using rolling pin.
5. Ease icing around sides and base of cake. Coat hands with icing sugar, rub top and sides of cake lightly until icing is very smooth. Cut away any excess icing from base with a small sharp knife. Decorate as desired.
6. Storage time This cake keeps well. Store for up to three months in refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap.
