Did you know that (January 12th) is National Marzipan Day? I didn’t, until a couple of years ago and found a few posts on Twitter. Last year I celebrated this with a delicious Marzipan, cherry and almond Cake: National Marzipan Day cake which was absolutely scrumptious.

This year I had half a packet of marzipan which needed using up after Christmas. I should have really turned it into a Stollen but never got round to it. So I thought about another way it could be incorporated into a bake of some sort. It had to be quick, easy and something everyone would enjoy.

In the end I decided on a loaf cake, making it in my Nordicware Bundt loaf pan. It’s the only “generic” Bundt loaf pan I have: all the others have specific designs on them like pumpkins, gingerbread people or lemons!

I wanted to make something using dried fruit as well as these go together and complement marzipan so well. Think Christmas and Simnel Cakes! I thought of dried cranberries but I haven’t got any left and haven’t replenished my stock since Christmas. I did have half a large pack of dried apricots and some sultanas, though. So I guess any leftover dried fruit would do, so long as it adds up to the same quantity.

Sultana, Apricot and Marzipan Loaf Cake.

Makes one loaf cake (Nordicware Bundt Loaf pan or a plain loaf tin but it must be a 900g/ 2lb one.

Ingredients:

• 150g unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 300g self raising flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g dried apricots
• 100g sultanas
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 150ml milk (full fat)
• 150g marzipan
• 2 tbsp apricot jam
• 1 tbsp boiling water
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds

Preheat your oven to 180oc/ 160oC (fan)/ 350oF/ Gas 4.

Weigh out all your ingredients and prep them. Chop the apricots into large chunks (I do this with scissors) and beat the two eggs in a jug.

Grease and line your tin.

This recipe uses a rubbing in method. Cut the butter into cubes and put into a bowl with the flour. Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs.

Next, add the sugar to the bowl and mix.

Stir in the dried fruit.

In another bowl, beat the eggs and add the milk and the almond extract. Mix them all together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and stir carefully to combine.

Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin.

Cut the marzipan into cubes and dot them on the top of the mixture in the tin so far.

Spoon the remaining mixture on top of the cubes of marzipan, ensuring they are completely covered.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1- 11/4 hours. Test the cake first to see if it is cooked by inserting a skewer in various places on top of the cake. I found it needed 1 hour 10 minutes in my oven but this does depend on how your oven works.

When the cake has cooled for about 15 minutes, remove from the tin and put on a wire rack to help it cool quickly.

Make a quick apricot glaze for the top and side of the cake. Put the apricot glaze in a bowl and pour the boiling water on top of it. Remove any big lumps of apricot and discard them! Brush the warm apricot glaze all over the cake and sprinkle the top with flaked almonds.

Wait until the cake has been cooled completely before cutting. It will keep for up to five days in an airtight tin.

If you bake the recipe, do let me know how you get on with it. I’d love to know what fruits you’ve used.

Happy Baking!

Love Sam xx