This impressive Easter fruit cake with violets is perfect for sharing on Easter Sunday.
This Easter fruit cake with violets has a gooey layer of marzipan baked in the centre of the cake, but if you are not keen on marzipan, just use it to decorate the cake only. We have used a bag of luxury dried fruits, a mix of raisins, currants, sultanas, mixed peel and glace cherries as this is the most economical way of buying these ingredients, but use any mixture of dried fruits you like so long as the total weight is 600g. If liked you can decorate the top of the cake with yellow sugar paste if preferred and top with fresh violets or Mini Eggs. This recipe will serve up to 20 servings. This delicious Easter cake is a real family favourite as an Easter dessert or a treat with a cuppa on Easter Sunday.
Ingredients
- For this Easter recipe you will need:
- 250 g plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1tsp ground mixed spice
- 1 unwaxed lemon
- 600g luxury mixed dried fruits
- 175g butter, softened
- 175g golden caster sugar
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2tbsp milk
- 500g marzipan
- 1tbsp apricot jam
- Royal iced violet flowers or crystallised violets, to decorate
Method
Preheat oven to 170°C/150°C Fan/Gas Mark 3. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm round, deep, cake tin.
Place the flour, salt and spice in a large mixing bowl with the dried fruits.
Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until light and fluffy then gradually beat in the egg a little at a time until smooth. Add the fruit and flour mixture with the milk, stirring well until evenly mixed. Place half the mixture into the cake tin.
Dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out 200g of the marzipan to a circle about 19cm round. Place on top of the cake mixture then top with the remaining mix.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 1/2 hours – 1 3/4 hours until golden and firm to the touch.
Leave to cool completely then turn out of the tin and remove the paper.
To decorate, roll 11 small balls of marzipan and set aside. Roll out remaining marzipan to a circle to fit the top. Brush the cake with apricot jam, place the almond paste on top. Arrange the balls on top and decorate with sugar flowers.
Top tip for making Easter fruit cake with violets
This rich fruit cake can be made up to 1 month in advance, just keep it wrapped in baking parchment and foil in a cool dry place.
