Name: Great Grandma’s Christmas Fruitcake
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 60
Ingredients: For the fruit cakes; 475g/17oz salted butter, softened; 475g/17oz dark muscovado sugar; 8 eggs, beaten; 475g/17oz self-raising flour, sifted; 1½ tsp mixed spice; ¼ tsp nutmeg; A pinch of salt; 500g/1lb 2oz raisins; 500g/1lb 2oz currants; 500g/1lb 2oz sultanas; 75g/3oz each of green and red glacé cherries, quartered; 125g/4½oz candied peel, chopped; 50g/2oz angelica, chopped; Finely grated zest of 1½ unwaxed lemons; 2 tbsp brandy, plus extra for feeding the cake; For the almond paste; 800g/1¾lb ground almonds; 400g/14oz caster sugar; 400g/14oz icing sugar, sifted; 2 tbsp vanilla essence; Juice of 2 lemons; 3 eggs, beaten; 6 tbsp homemade or good-quality apricot jam; For the royal icing; 4 egg whites; 1kg/2¼lb icing sugar, sifted; 4 tsp lemon juice; 2 tsp glycerine

VMG Recipes