Easter Fruit Cake

You’ll Need:

# 14oz (400g) mixed dried fruit
# 6oz (150g) glace cherries (quartered)
# 4oz (100g) dates, chopped
# 4oz (100g) butter
# 6oz (150g) dark brown soft sugar
# half a tsp. of bicarbonate of soda
# 1 tsp. mixed spice
# half a pint (285ml milk)
# 12oz (350g) self raising flour
# pinch of salt
# 2 eggs, well beaten
# tbsp. apricot jam
# 8oz (225g) ready to roll white icing
# 9oz (250g) white marzipan
# a little icing sugar (sifted)
# 2-3 drops each of pink and green food colorings

Procedures : # Place the fruits, spice, sugar, milk and bicarbonate of soda into a large pan
# Bring to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes
# Allow to cool to blood-heat
# Sift the flower and salt and stir into mixture with the eggs
# Turn into a greased double-lined 8in (20cm) cake tin
# Smooth the surface and hollow out center slightly
# Heat oven to 325F, Gas Mark 3, 170C and bake cake in the center for 45 minutes then at 300F, Gas Mark 2, 150C for about a further 50 minutes
# To see if the cake is cooked a skewer pushed into the middle should come out clean
# Cool the cake in its tin then transfer to a wire rack and remove greaseproof paper
# Spread top of cake with jam
# Using a little icing sifted icing sugar , lightly knead the icing, then roll out to fit just inside cake top
# Trim round quarter inch (5mm) from the edge to allow for pink marzipan
# Cut marzipan into three pieces. Colour first piece pink and knead thoroughly
# Measure circumference of cake with string then roll pink marzipan by hand to the same length
# Lift on to cake, pressing neatly to the white icing edge then trim ends and join
# Colour second piece green, roll out to the same length. Roll out third piece likewise and twist them together
# Lay twist around cake, just inside pink roll then trim ends and join
# Tie a ribbon or fix a cake band around cak