Individual Crown Fruit Cakes

Grease and line a 6" square cake tin and preheat the oven to 140ºC (120°C fan, gas mark 1)

In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, sugar and eggs. Whisk until well blended.

Fold in the flour, mixed spice and ground almonds. Mix all ingredients together until you have a nice smooth consistency. Combine the dried fruit with the batter mix.

Once baked allow the cake to cool in the tin. After about an hour cooling, prick the cake with a cocktail stick and pour the brandy over the cake and allow it to soak in.

Once the cake is completely cold it can be wrapped and stored until required or it can be used straight away.

To decorate, using a 2.5" circular cutter cut 4 circles out of the fruit cake. Paint the sides and the top of the cakes with warm apricot jam. Divide the marzipan into 4 and roll out each piece to a circle approximately 7 to 8 inches in diameter.

Lay the marzipan onto the fruit cake and gently work it down the sides of the cake. If you are using a cake smoother use this to smooth the surface of the marzipan to remove any lumps and bumps. Repeat this process for the other 3 cakes.

Using a pastry brush paint the cake surfaces with brandy. This is used to stick the sugar paste in place but cooled boiled water can be used if preferred.

Divide the white sugar paste icing into 4 and roll out each piece to approx 4mm thick. Use each piece to cover the cakes. Use a cake smoother to get a smooth finish on the cakes. If any bubbles appear simply insert a pin into the bubble and continue to work with the smoother. Cut off the excess paste around the bottom of the cakes (reserve this to make the crowns). Put a 15mm ribbon around the base of the cakes.

To make the crowns, roll 4 balls of red sugar paste approx 3cm in diameter. Roll out a strip of white sugar paste approx 3cm wide and 15cm long. Using a sharp knife cut serations along one side of each piece of paste to form the top of the crown.

Moisten the back of each strip and wrap them around the red balls of sugar paste. Allow the crowns to dry for a couple of hours. To make the tops of the crowns cut little strips of sugar paste and make them into the 4 little arches. Stick into place with a moist paint brush. Allow the crowns to dry over night. Paint with gold lustre once died. Decorate with blue and red piped dots or tiny balls of coloured sugar paste. Moisten the tops of the cakes and put the crowns in place.