Christmas Cake Tray Bake

Not your traditional fruit cake. It has mixed dried fruits and spices, but instead of putting nuts, the marzipan gave the cake the nutty flavor. The cake looks festive with the royal icing and sugar balls decorations on top.
This cake is also a shortcut version because there is no need to soak dried fruits for a very long period of time.

125g (4 1/2 oz) butter, softened
125g (4 1/2oz ) golden caster sugar
3 small eggs
150g (5 oz) plain flour
500g (11b 2oz) mixed dried fruits
1 tsp mixed spice

For Garnish
1 tbsp warmed, sieved apricot jam
300g (10oz) marzipan
200g (7oz) royal icing sugar
silver sugar balls or cake decorations

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 7×11 traybake tin with parchment paper.
• Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
• Add one egg at a time, and then fold in the flour, fruit, and spice. 
• Stop mixing when you have a soft dropping consistency.
• Pour mixture into the prepared traybake tin and bake for 45-50 minutes. 
• When the cake is firm to touch, remove from the oven, and cool completely.
• Brush the top of the cake with apricot jam. 
• On a lightly dusted work surface, roll out the marzipan and cover the top of the cake.
• Prepare the royal icing as per package direction and put it in a small piping bag. 
• Cut a small hole at the end and drizzle icing over the cake. 
• Garnish with the sugar balls.
• Cut into slices and place on a cake stand or platter.

Recipe: Woman and Home