Twelfth Night Cake (Festive Fruit & Almond Cake with Marzipan)
A citrus-scented, almond-studded fruit cake soaked in brandy, topped with marzipan and icing — perfect for Epiphany or a festive finish.
Twelfth Night cake is the cheery cousin of the Christmas fruit cake — lighter, citrusy and usually finished with marzipan and a sugar glaze. It’s brilliant for Epiphany (the Twelfth Night) when you want something festive but not too heavy.
This recipe soaks fruit in brandy (or orange juice if you prefer no alcohol) for a deep flavour, folds in ground almonds for a tender crumb, and is finished with marzipan and icing for that proper celebratory look. Serve with tea, or a glass of something you like to toast with.
Ingredients
- 250 g mixed dried fruit — raisins, sultanas, chopped glacé cherries and peel
- 80 ml brandy — or 80ml freshly squeezed orange juice to keep it alcohol-free
- 225 g unsalted butter — softened, plus a little extra for greasing
- 225 g golden caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 225 g plain flour
- 100 g ground almonds
- 5 ml baking powder
- 5 ml mixed spice
- 5 ml ground cinnamon
- 0 ml fine salt
- 1 orange — zest only
- 30 ml milk — use only if batter seems too stiff
- 200 g ready-to-roll marzipan
- 45 g apricot jam — warmed and sieved, for brushing under the marzipan
- 200 g icing sugar — sifted
- 1 lemon — juice only (about 15ml)
- 50 g sugared almonds — for decoration
- 1 whole almond — optional tradition — warn guests if you hide it
Equipment
- 20cm loose-bottom round cake tin
- electric whisk (or hand whisk)
- wire rack
Instructions
Place the mixed dried fruit in a bowl, pour over the brandy, stir, cover and leave to soak at room temperature for 12 hours (overnight). Keep the soaking liquid — you'll use some in the batter.
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional. Grease a 20cm loose-bottom round cake tin with a little unsalted butter and line the base with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, beat the unsalted butter and golden caster sugar together until pale and fluffy (about 3–5 minutes with an electric whisk or 5–7 minutes by hand).
Beat the large eggs in one at a time, mixing well after each addition. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a tablespoon of the plain flour to bring it back together.
Sift the plain flour and baking powder together. Stir the ground almonds, mixed spice, ground cinnamon and fine salt into the dry mix. Fold the dry ingredients gently into the creamed mixture until just combined. Fold in the soaked mixed dried fruit and about half the soaking liquid — if the batter looks very stiff, add up to 30ml milk. Finally stir in the orange zest.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, level the surface and tap the tin once on the worktop to remove large air pockets. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 20 minutes (check from 1 hour 10 minutes), until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 30 minutes.
Turn the cake out onto a wire rack and cool completely for a further 30 minutes.
Warm and sieve the apricot jam, brush a thin layer over the cake surface to give a sticky base, roll out the ready-to-roll marzipan to a circle slightly larger than the cake and lay it over the top, trimming any excess. Press gently so it adheres.
Mix the sifted icing sugar with enough lemon juice to make a thick but pourable icing. Drizzle or spread the icing over the marzipan and decorate with sugared almonds. Leave the icing to set for a short while before serving.
If you choose to follow the old Twelfth Night tradition, place the whole almond on the top or slip it into one slice at serving time — warn your guests if you hide it inside for safety.
Tips
- Soak the fruit overnight — it makes a real difference to texture and flavour; use the soaking liquid in the batter for extra moisture.
- If the top is colouring too quickly in the oven, tent loosely with foil for the last 20–30 minutes to avoid a burnt crust and an underdone centre.
- Roll marzipan between two sheets of baking parchment to stop it sticking and to get an even thickness.
- Make ahead: the cake keeps well for several days in an airtight container (or wrapped) and can be made a day ahead to let the flavours mellow.
- If you hide a token inside for tradition, always warn guests — or place it on top to avoid any choking risk.
Substitutions
brandy → 80ml freshly squeezed orange juice
Stays closeready-to-roll marzipan → 200g almond paste (rolled thinner)
Stays closeground almonds → 100g finely ground hazelnuts
Noticeably differentgolden caster sugar → 200g light brown sugar (adds extra molasses note)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 346
- Calories
- 6 g
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 25 g
- Sugar
- 120 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this cake without alcohol?
Yes — swap the brandy for an equal amount of freshly squeezed orange juice. The flavour will be less boozy but still bright and fruity.
How do I know when the cake is fully baked?
Insert a skewer into the centre — it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the surface is darkening too quickly, tent with foil and continue baking until the centre tests done.
Can I freeze the cake?
Yes. Wrap cooled, un-iced cake tightly in cling film and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before bringing to room temperature and decorating.
Is it safe to hide a token inside the cake?
Hiding a small token is traditional but can be a choking hazard. It's safer to place a token or whole almond on top of the cake and announce the tradition when serving.
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