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Ingredients
350g red or natural glacé cherries (rinsed, dried, quartered)
225g tinned pineapple in juice (drained and chopped)
50g dried apricots (chopped)
100g blanched almonds (roughly chopped)
Zest of 2 lemons
350g sultanas
250g butter (softened, plus extra for greasing)
250g caster sugar
5 large eggs (lightly beaten)
250g self-raising flour
75g ground almonds
For the topping
Small handful of blanched whole almonds
A small handful of walnut halves
A small handful of glacé cherry halves
50g whole orange peel (cut into pieces)
100g apricot jam
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Method
- Preheat the oven: Preheat to 160°C / 140°C Fan. Grease a deep, 23cm / 9in round cake tin with butter, then line the base and sides with a double layer of baking parchment.
- Prepare the fruit and nuts: In a bowl, gently mix the cherries, pineapple, apricots, almonds, lemon zest, and sultanas until well combined. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar: In a food processor, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually pour in the beaten eggs, adding a spoonful of the flour to prevent the mixture from curdling, and pulse after each addition.
- Combine the dry ingredients: Carefully fold the remaining flour and ground almonds into the cake mixture using a metal spoon, then gently fold in the fruit and nut mixture until just combined.
- Transfer to the tin: Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface using a palette knife.
- Decorate the cake: For the topping, decorate the cake with blanched whole almonds, walnut halves, glacé cherry halves, and orange peel.
- Bake the cake: Bake in the oven for 2-2¼ hours, or until golden brown on top and cooked through. Cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil after one hour to prevent the top from becoming too dark.
- Cool the cake: Set the cake aside in its tin to cool for 30 minutes, then remove from the tin, peel the baking parchment away from the sides, and place onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To glaze heat the apricot jam in a small pan over low heat, then strain through a fine sieve to remove any pieces of fruit. When the cake has cooled, brush the top all over with the warm apricot jam.
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