Royal Fruit Cake

Preheat oven to 160ºC/140ºC  fan/Gas Mark 3. Grease a deep 7” round cake tin or 2lb loaf tin.

Sieve together the flour and Baking Powder and set a side.

Place the dates and sultanas in a bowl and cover with boiling water, leave to soak.

Melt the butter and sugar together in a large saucepan and allow to cool slightly. Beat the eggs, ginger, Sicilian Lemon Extract and Vanilla Extract in until smooth.

Drain the dates and sultanas and add to the saucepan and mix well.

Fold in the flour and finally the apple, then spoon into your prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for about 1hr 15 mins - 1hr 30 mins until well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, with a few crumbs. Leave to cool in the tin.

Dust the top of the cake with icing sugar and serve. Or a more showstopper finish give your Elizabeth Fruit Cake a royal decorate. Brush the cake with apricot jam, then knead the Marzipan until soft and pliable, roll out on a surface dusted with icing sugar until large enough to cover your cake. Pop the marzipan over the cake and smooth onto the cake, cut any excess off the base using a sharp knife.

Allow the marzipan to dry and cover with a layer of Fondant icing, using the same technique as you did with the marzipan. Stick the fondant to the marzipan using either water or more apricot jam. Use your left over fondant to cut out small crown shapes and stick to on your cake using a little dab of water, then decorate your crowns with Gold Decorating Icing. Finally stick on some crown sprinkles. Most importantly have fun decorating your Queen Elizabeth Cake and get creative with the decorations!