Christmas cake with pistachio and fig

A colourful twist on fruitcake.

Serves 14 • Ready in 2hrs 20mins, plus overnight soaking

150g each dried figs and apricots, chopped

200g dried cranberries

350g mixed dried fruit and peel 140ml brandy, plus 2tbsp to feed 400g butter, softened

260g dark brown soft sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

5 eggs

400g plain flour

1tbsp mixed spice

100g toasted pistachios, chopped 4tbsp icing sugar

200g natural marzipan

200g ready-to-roll icing you will need a 23cm springform tin, greased and lined with baking parchment, leaving a 5cm overhang

1 Soak the fruit and peel overnight in the brandy. The next day, whisk the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla, then beat in the eggs, one by one. Fold in the flour, mixed spice, pistachios and soaked fruit.

2 Heat the oven to 170C/Gas Mark 3. Pour the mix into the tin and bake for 2hrs, until a skewer comes out clean.

3 Pierce the top with a toothpick and pour over 2tbsp brandy. Rest for a few mins, then cool on a wire rack.

4 Dust the worktop with icing sugar. Roll out the marzipan and icing to 4mm-thick and cut out festive shapes. Arrange on top of the cake, then dust with icing sugar.