Billington's

Directions

Put the dates, sultanas and walnuts in a small bowl and pour over the liqueur. Cover and leave to soak overnight. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Sift in the flour and gently fold into the mixture with the ground almonds. Stir in the soaked fruit and spoon into a 20cm/8inch greased lined cake tin. Bake for 40-50 minutes Gas 4/180ºC/350ºF until cooked through - when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire cooling rack.

Place the ground almonds and Golden Icing sugar in a mixing bowl and add just enough warmed liquid glucose to make a pliable paste. Turn out on to a surface dusted with Golden Icing sugar and knead lightly. Pat or roll out and cut out a circle using the base of the cake tin as a guide. Cut out holly leaves with a cutter from the surplus marzipan.
Heat the jam or jelly until melted then brush over the top of the cake. Place the circle on top of the cake. Place the holly leaves around the edge. Brush the marzipan with beaten egg yolk and put the cake into the oven for about 5 minutes at Gas 6/200ºC/400F until the marzipan is lightly browned.
Store, wrapped in greaseproof paper in an airtight tin for up to a week.