Fruity simnel squares

600 kcal or less almond dried fruit dried fruits easter spread easter sunday easter weekend family family and friends fruit sponge fruitcake good friday make ahead marzipan over an hour spring tea party

N/A

Cuts into 15 squares

Source

Ingredients

250g mixed dried fruit

100g dried apricot , chopped

85g glacé cherry , chopped

zest 2 oranges , juice 1 orange (use the second in the topping)

200g butter , softened, plus extra for the tin

200g light muscovado sugar

4 large eggs

200g self-raising flour

50g ground almond

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

500g marzipan , 200g/7oz cut into 2cm chunks, the rest for the topping

50g butter

50g light muscovado sugar

100g plain flour

100g flaked almond

3 tbsp golden syrup

85g icing sugar , sieved

2-3 tsp orange juice

Method

Soak all the dried fruit in the orange juice for 2 hrs, or overnight.

Butter and line a 20 x 30cm tin with baking parchment. Heat oven to 160C/ 140C fan/gas 3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time; mix well between each addition.

Sift the flour into the bowl and mix in the ground almonds and spices. Add the marzipan chunks, zest and dried fruit with any remaining juice, and give everything a good stir to combine.

Tip the cake mix into the prepared tin, level the surface, and bake for 45 mins – the cake may still be a little gooey in the centre at this point. Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 200C/ 180C fan/gas 6.

Make the topping. Rub the butter, sugar and flour together with your fingers to a crumbly breadcrumb texture. Grate in 200g reserved marzipan, add the flaked almonds and golden syrup. Mix everything with a fork, making sure it stays crumbly and doesn’t clump. Sprinkle over the cake and return to the oven for 12-15 mins. Meanwhile, divide the rest of the marzipan into 11 and roll into balls.

Remove the cake from the oven once cooked through, arrange the marzipan balls on top and allow to cool in the tin. Mix the icing sugar with enough orange juice to give a runny icing, drizzle it all over the cake, then let it set a little before slicing it.