Twelfth Night cake recipe
 Mary's traditional Twelfth Night cake is the perfect way to celebrate the end of the festive season. 5 large free-range eggs 250g/9oz self-raising flour 250g/9oz caster sugar 250g/9oz butter, softened 75g/2½oz ground almonds 350g/12oz glacé cherries, washed, dried and quartered200g tin pineapple pieces in natural juice, roughly chopped and dried well on kitchen paper350g/12oz dried apricots, snipped into small pieces350g/12oz sultanas100g/3½oz chopped almonds 2 unwaxed lemons, finely grated zest only 5 large free-range eggs 250g/9oz self-raising flour 250g/9oz caster sugar 250g/9oz butter, softened 75g/2½oz ground almonds 350g/12oz glacé cherries, washed, dried and quartered 200g tin pineapple pieces in natural juice, roughly chopped and dried well on kitchen paper 350g/12oz dried apricots, snipped into small pieces 350g/12oz sultanas 100g/3½oz chopped almonds 2 unwaxed lemons, finely grated zest only 4 tbsp apricot jam, warmed 500g/1lb 2oz golden marzipan1kg/2lb 4oz gold fondant icing metallic classic gold food colour dust100g/3½oz white fondant icingedible silver balls 75g/2½oz icing sugar, sievededible floral cake lace 4 tbsp apricot jam, warmed 500g/1lb 2oz golden marzipan 1kg/2lb 4oz gold fondant icing metallic classic gold food colour dust 100g/3½oz white fondant icing edible silver balls 75g/2½oz icing sugar, sieved edible floral cake lace Method Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Grease and line a 23cm/9in deep, round cake tin with a single layer of baking paper.Measure the eggs, butter, flour, sugar and ground almonds into a bowl and whisk together. Add the chopped almonds, lemon zest and dried fruit. Mix well, spoon into the tin and level off the top. Bake for 2¼–2½ hours until golden-brown. You may need to cover with foil if it's getting too brown.Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, before removing onto a wire rack and leaving to cool completely .To decorate, remove the baking paper and place the cake on a gold cake board. Brush with the apricot jam. Lightly dust a work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to a cirlce slightly bigger than the cake. Cover and smooth over the surface and sides. Brush with a light sprinkling of water. Lightly dust a work suface with a little icing sugar. Roll out the gold icing to a circle slightly bigger than the cake. Cover the marzipan and smooth the surface. Trim the excess icing, (reserve this for later) then tuck under the cake. Brush with the gold dust to create a metallic finish. Wrap the lace around the bottom of the cake and smooth. Sprinkle icing sugar over the worktop and roll out the white icing. Cut out a scalloped fringe, stars and crown shapes using small cutters. Stick the crowns and stars around the sides of the cake using a little water. Cut out stars from the reserved gold icing and stick on the crowns. Put a sliver ball on the tip of each crown. (See the image for design.) Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Grease and line a 23cm/9in deep, round cake tin with a single layer of baking paper. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Grease and line a 23cm/9in deep, round cake tin with a single layer of baking paper. Measure the eggs, butter, flour, sugar and ground almonds into a bowl and whisk together. Add the chopped almonds, lemon zest and dried fruit. Mix well, spoon into the tin and level off the top. Measure the eggs, butter, flour, sugar and ground almonds into a bowl and whisk together. Add the chopped almonds, lemon zest and dried fruit. Mix well, spoon into the tin and level off the top. Bake for 2¼–2½ hours until golden-brown. You may need to cover with foil if it's getting too brown. Bake for 2¼–2½ hours until golden-brown. You may need to cover with foil if it's getting too brown. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, before removing onto a wire rack and leaving to cool completely . Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, before removing onto a wire rack and leaving to cool completely . To decorate, remove the baking paper and place the cake on a gold cake board. Brush with the apricot jam. To decorate, remove the baking paper and place the cake on a gold cake board. Brush with the apricot jam. Lightly dust a work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to a cirlce slightly bigger than the cake. Cover and smooth over the surface and sides. Brush with a light sprinkling of water. Lightly dust a work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to a cirlce slightly bigger than the cake. Cover and smooth over the surface and sides. Brush with a light sprinkling of water. Lightly dust a work suface with a little icing sugar. Roll out the gold icing to a circle slightly bigger than the cake. Cover the marzipan and smooth the surface. Trim the excess icing, (reserve this for later) then tuck under the cake. Brush with the gold dust to create a metallic finish. Lightly dust a work suface with a little icing sugar. Roll out the gold icing to a circle slightly bigger than the cake. Cover the marzipan and smooth the surface. Trim the excess icing, (reserve this for later) then tuck under the cake. Brush with the gold dust to create a metallic finish. Wrap the lace around the bottom of the cake and smooth. Wrap the lace around the bottom of the cake and smooth. Sprinkle icing sugar over the worktop and roll out the white icing. Cut out a scalloped fringe, stars and crown shapes using small cutters. Stick the crowns and stars around the sides of the cake using a little water. Cut out stars from the reserved gold icing and stick on the crowns. Put a sliver ball on the tip of each crown. (See the image for design.) Sprinkle icing sugar over the worktop and roll out the white icing. Cut out a scalloped fringe, stars and crown shapes using small cutters. Stick the crowns and stars around the sides of the cake using a little water. Cut out stars from the reserved gold icing and stick on the crowns. Put a sliver ball on the tip of each crown. (See the image for design.)