Easy Christmas Loaf Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups mixed dried fruit ideally including mixed peel – see note
• 1 Orange
• 6 3/4 tablespoons sherry or brandy / whisky / gin / rum - or use apple juice if you want this to be alcohol free
• 6 3/4 tablespoons boiling water
• 2/3 cup butter softened plus extra for greasing
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar soft, or muscovado sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups self raising flour US - self-rising flour
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice or pumpkin spice
• 1 teaspoon canela
• 1 3/4 cups glacé cherries halved
• 9/16 pound marzipan I prefer the paler ‘natural’ colour… but the bright yellow stuff works too!
• 9/16 pound fondant icing white
• icing sugar US - confectioner's sugar, for rolling out the marzipan and fondant icing

Nutrition

• Calories : 280 calories
• Carbohydrate : 55 grams
• Cholesterol : 35 milligrams
• Fat : 7 grams
• Fiber : 2 grams
• Protein : 2 grams
• SaturatedFat : 4 grams
• Sodium : 105 milligrams
• Sugar : 42 grams