• Soak the Fruit: Add the dried mixed fruit, glace cherries and dried cranberries to a medium sized jar or bowl then pour in the dark rum and ruby port. Cover with a lid or clingfilm and allow to soak for 5 – 6 days.
• Making the Cake: Preheat the oven to gas mark 1/140°C/275°F and line a 6-inch/15cm round cake tin with parchment paper. Ensure the tin is as least 3 inches or 7½ cm deep. Set the tin aside.
• Add the soaked dried fruit with the alcohol to a blender and blend for a few seconds to slightly break down the fruit. You don’t want it fully pureed as you want small pieces of fruit. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
• To a medium sized bowl, add the self-raising flour, ground almonds, bicarbonate soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and mixed spices. Mix them together and set aside.
• To another bowl, add and combine the eggs, black treacle, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice and whisk until smooth and the black treacle has dissolved then also set aside.
• To a mixing bowl, add the butter and dark brown sugar then cream until paler in colour and fluffy. Gradually add the egg mixture, mixing between each addition then gradually add the dry ingredients, also mixing between each addition. Gently fold in the blended fruit ensuring you don’t over mix.
• Bake the Cake: Transfer the cake mixture to the lined tin then bake in the lower centre part of the oven for 3 hours 30 minutes. After this time, check the cake using a cake tester or skewer and if the cake is not ready, return it to the oven and check every 10 minutes until the tester comes out clean.
• Place the cake tin on a wire rack to cool. After 30 minutes, carefully remove the cake from the tin and allow to completely cool on the wire rack. Once completely cooled, give the cake the first feed by spooning over 3 tablespoon of rum or brandy. Wrap the cake in cling film and store in a tin until you're ready to eat or feed again.

Icing the Cake

• Marzipan layer: Unwrap your fruit cake and carefully place on a cake board. Prepare your cake by using a serrated knife to slice off the top layer and create a flat surface.
• To a small saucepan, add the apricot jam and the water then mix on a medium heat until the jam dissolves and the mixture becomes smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool then use a pastry brush and brush the whole cake with the dissolved jam.
• Using your hands, shape the marzipan into a disk shape then sprinkle some icing sugar on a clean surface and roll out the marzipan to just under 1 cm in thickness and enough to cover the cake.
• Fold the marzipan over the top of your rolling pin and place the marzipan over the cake. Use your hand to smooth the marzipan over the cake then trim off the excess marzipan using a small knife. Place the cake in a cake box and allow to dry for 24 hours.
• Fondant Layer: Repeat the process of dissolving the apricot jam with the water then brush the surface of the marzipan with the cooled apricot jam mixture. Using your hands, shape the fondant into a disk and roll out the fondant until it is enough to cover the cake with some excess.
• Fold the fondant over the top of your rolling pin and place the fondant over the marzipan. Use your hand to smooth the fondant over the cake then use an icing smoother to finish off smoothing the cake. Trim off the excess fondant using a small knife and set the cake aside.
• Decorating: Roll out the fondant to your desired thickness and using your cutters, cut your desired shapes for your cake. Make sure they are not too thin or they will break when you lift them.
• Using your pastry brush, brush some apricot jam on the back of each piece of cut out fondant before sticking to your fondant layer. Once your have stuck down your shapes, you can finish of the cake with the silver balls. Place in a cake box and allow to dry for 24 hours before serving.