• Begin by rehydrating the dried fruits. Place these in a large pan and add the butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest, orange juice and zest, and bourbon. Cook over a medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is boiling. Lower the temperature and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then tip the contents into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
  7 cups mixed dried fruit, 1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, ½ cup bourbon, 1 lemon, 1 orange
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (150C/130C Fan) and line the bottom and sides of a deep sided 8" or 9" cake pan with a double layer of parchment paper.
• Once the fruit mixture has been allowed to cool, add the flour, ground almonds, spices, vanilla and eggs to the mixing bowl and stir thoroughly with a spatula or wooden spoon to combine. Take care to ensure there are no clumps of flour left unmixed.
  4 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1¼ cup all purpose flour, 1½ cup ground almonds, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• Pour this into the prepared cake pan and bake in the lower half of the oven for 2 hours until a skewer comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and use a toothpick to make holes all over the top of the cake. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of rum over the top and brush so that this soaks into the holes.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan, before removing and peeling away the parchment paper.
• Store the cake in an airtight container, wrapped in parchment and feed with 2 tablespoons of rum every week until about a week before you are intending to serve.

Instructions for Assembly

• A few days after your last feed, roll your marzipan out on a countertop dusted with powdered icing sugar until it is about ¼" thick and large enough to cover your cake.
  16 oz marzipan, powdered sugar
• Heat the orange preserve in a small saucepan to melt. Use this to brush all over the top and sides of your cake.
  ¼ cup rindless orange preserve
• Carefully transfer the marzipan on to the cake and press to cover the top and sides smoothly. Trim any edges to fit.
• Roll the fondant in a similar way. Brush the marzipan layer again with the warmed preserve and cover with the fondant.
  16 oz ready to roll fondant
• Use any excess fondant for decorating the cake in a festive pattern such as holly leaves and berries. These can be attached to the cake with some more preserve or just a bit of water.