Icebox StoriesKumora Studio · AI-assisted

Ingredients

• For the fruitcake: 250 g mixed dried fruit, roughly chopped if needed
• 60 g candied citrus peel, finely chopped
• 60 g orange juice
• 30 g unsalted butter, softened, for the tin
• 180 g unsalted butter, softened
• 150 g dark brown sugar
• 3 large eggs (about 150 g without shells), at room temperature
• 180 g plain flour
• 4 g baking powder
• 3 g ground cinnamon
• 1 g ground nutmeg
• 2 g fine salt
• 30 g whole milk
• For the topping: 25 g apricot jam
• 400 g ready-to-roll marzipan
• 10 g caster sugar, for browning

Let’s make it

1. Put the dried fruit, citrus peel, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Warm gently for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the fruit has absorbed some juice. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Heat the oven to 160°C conventional (140°C fan). Grease a 20 cm round cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
3. Beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions. If the mixture looks slightly curdled, continue; the dry ingredients will bring it together.
4. Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl. Fold these into the butter mixture with the milk, then fold in the cooled fruit mixture until evenly combined.
5. Spoon the batter into the tin and level the surface. Bake for 90–100 minutes, until the top is set and a skewer inserted in the center comes out without wet batter. If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil for the remaining baking time.
6. Cool the cake in its tin for 20 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack and let it cool completely, about 90 minutes. Warm the apricot jam with 5 g water until loose, then brush it over the top of the cake.
7. Divide the marzipan: reserve 120 g for the rounds and roll the remaining 280 g into a circle about 20 cm wide. Lay it over the cake top and press gently to smooth. Roll the reserved marzipan into small rounds and arrange them around the edge and across the top, matching the photo's decorated surface.
8. Sprinkle the marzipan lightly with caster sugar. Brown the tops briefly with a kitchen torch, keeping it moving, or place the cake under a hot grill for 1–2 minutes and watch continuously. Cool before slicing into 10 wedges with a sharp knife.
9. Store covered in a cool, dry place for up to 4 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days and bring to room temperature before serving.

Kitchen notes

This is an AI-assisted recipe in development and has not been kitchen-tested. The photo is decorating inspiration rather than the tested result. Contains wheat, eggs, milk, and almonds; check the marzipan label for other allergens. For the pictured look, keep the marzipan topping pale and brown only the raised rounds.

Recipe in development · not kitchen-tested.