MARY BERRY’S AMERICAN LIGHT CHRISTMAS CAKE

WE SAY: Usually made with black treacle and brandy, which are laden with calories, this healthier alternative uses tinned pineapple in natural juice to keep the cake moist and moreish.

Serves 8 to 12

Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan, gas mark 3). Line the base and sides of a 23cm-deep round cake tin with a double layer of greased greaseproof paper.

Cut 350g glacé cherries into quarters, rinse and drain well. Drain and roughly chop 200g tinned pineapple in natural juice. Dry the cherries, and especially the pineapple, thoroughly on absorbent kitchen paper, or else the cake may go mouldy. Snip 350g no-soak dried apricots into raisin-sized pieces.

Gently mix the prepared fruit and 100g chopped blanched almonds in a large bowl with 350g sultanas and the finely grated rind from 2 lemons.

Add 250g self-raising flour, 250g caster sugar, 250g softened butter, 75g ground almonds and 5 eggs.

Beat until smooth and turn into the prepared tin. Level the surface and decorate with blanched whole almonds and halved glacé cherries.

Bake for about 2¼ hours until golden brown – insert a skewer to test. Covering the cake loosely in foil after an hour prevents it getting too brown. Cool in the tin for about 30 minutes, then turn out and cool completely on a rack.

To glaze, mix 100g sifted icing sugar with enough water to make a thin icing, and drizzle over the top of the cake.

Or decorate with almond paste and royal icing – do not decorate with almonds and cherries before baking.

Keep the cake covered in foil in the larder. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to two months, then thaw at room temperature for 12 hours.