NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Grease a 20cm springform pan; line base and side with baking paper, extending paper 3cm beyond rim.
• Cut fruit cake into three slices horizontally. Place a square slice in the centre of the base of the pan. Using remaining slices, trim them to fit the gaps; reserve trimmings. Using your hands, flatten fruit cake to form a level base without gaps. Cut trimmings into small pieces.
• Remove ½ cup frozen red berries, cut any strawberries in half. Press strawberries to the side of the pan using some ice-cream as 'glue'. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes.
• Spoon remaining ice-cream into a large bowl; stir in brandy, nutmeg, rind and almonds; stir to combine. Spoon one-third of the ice-cream mixture into the pan; scatter with one-third reserved fruit cake, smooth level with a spoon. Repeat with remaining ice-cream mixture and fruit cake. Freeze for 4 hours or overnight until firm.
• To serve, transfer cake to a serving plate. Layer remaining berries and meringues over the top, crushing some of the meringues in the process.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Grease and line a 23cm/9in deep, round cake tin with a single layer of baking paper.
• Measure the eggs, butter, flour, sugar and ground almonds into a bowl and whisk together. Add the chopped almonds, lemon zest and dried fruit. Mix well, spoon into the tin and level off the top.
• Bake for 2¼–2½ hours until golden-brown. You may need to cover with foil if it's getting too brown.
• Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, before removing onto a wire rack and leaving to cool completely .
• To decorate, remove the baking paper and place the cake on a gold cake board. Brush with the apricot jam.
• Lightly dust a work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to a cirlce slightly bigger than the cake. Cover and smooth over the surface and sides. Brush with a light sprinkling of water.
• Lightly dust a work suface with a little icing sugar. Roll out the gold icing to a circle slightly bigger than the cake. Cover the marzipan and smooth the surface. Trim the excess icing, (reserve this for later) then tuck under the cake. Brush with the gold dust to create a metallic finish.
• Wrap the lace around the bottom of the cake and smooth.
• Sprinkle icing sugar over the worktop and roll out the white icing. Cut out a scalloped fringe, stars and crown shapes using small cutters. Stick the crowns and stars around the sides of the cake using a little water. Cut out stars from the reserved gold icing and stick on the crowns. Put a sliver ball on the tip of each crown. (See the image for design.)