This is a lovely cake to make at Easter, full of fruity nutty flavours and Fairtrade goodness. The eleven marzipan balls represent Jesus' apostles with Judas excluded. You can have fun decorating the cake with spring flowers and ribbon. Ingredients For the Cake 175g light muscovado sugar 175g butter, softened 175g self raising flour 3 large eggs 25g ground almonds 2 tbsp milk 100g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade Organic Dried Mango, chopped into 1.5cm pieces 100g Tropical Wholefoods Sun Dried Pineapple, chopped into 1.5cm pieces 100g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade Sun Dried Apricots, chopped into 1.5cm pieces 100g stem ginger, finely chopped 2 tsp ground ginger For the almond marzipan to cover the cake 200g icing sugar 125g ground almonds half a large egg yolk beaten 2 tbs of orange juice 3 drops of almond essence For the apricot kernel marzipan centre of the cake and “the apostle balls” 200g icing sugar 125g Tropical Wholefoods Fairtrade natural apricot kernels half a large egg yolk beaten 2 tbs of orange juice 3 drops of almond essence To decorate Spring flowers Beaten egg A ribbon
Method 1. Preheat oven 160C/320F/Gas 3 2. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm/8in deep, round cake tin with baking parchment 3. Combine all the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl or food processor and beat well until thoroughly blended. Place half the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. 4.To make the apricot kernel marzipan centre and “apostle balls”, grind the apricot kernels to a powder in an electric grinder. Place the ground kernels and icing sugar in a food processor. Process, slowly dripping in the egg yolk, orange juice and almond essence until you have a smooth pliable paste. Set aside about a third of this marzipan for the balls with which to decorate the cake. 5. Scatter icing sugar on a board and roll out remaining kernel paste into a circle to cover the cake mixture. Place the circle over the cake mixture, spoon the remaining cake mixture on top of the paste and level the surface. 6. Bake for about one and three-quarter to two hours or until golden brown and firm in the middle. If toward the end of the cooking time the cake is getting too brown, loosely cover with a piece of foil. Allow the cake to cool in the tin before turning onto a cooling rack. 7. Whilst the cake is baking, make the almond marzipan for the top of the cake in the same way as the apricot kernel marzipan. 8. When the cake is cool, roll out the almond marzipan on an icing sugar covered board and use it to cover the cake. Then make the 11 even sized balls out of apricot kernel marzipan and arrange the around the edge of the cake. 9. Lightly brush with a beaten egg and glaze under a hot grill for about five minutes turning the cake so it browns evenly. You could use a blow-torch for this if you prefer. 10. Tie spring coloured ribbon around the edge of the cake and scatter a few narcissi or primroses in the centre for decoration. Recipe from Tropical Wholefoods