Cake Angels: Amazing gluten, wheat and dairy free cakes

serves: 8 to 10

preparation: 30 minutes

baking: 2½ hours

cooling: 1 hour 20 minutes

freeze: Yes, before icing

300g (10½oz) dairy-free spread

300ml (10fl oz) cranberry juice

300g (10½oz) runny honey

175g (6oz) dried sour cherries

175g (6oz) glacé cherries

350g (12oz) raisins

325g (11½oz) sultanas

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

150g (5½oz) wheat- and gluten-free plain flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

150g (5½oz) ground almonds

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

100g (3½oz) candied mixed peel, finely diced

Brandy, for feeding

675g (1½lb) almond paste or marzipan

675g (1½lb) Dr. Oetker ready-to-roll icing

equipment

20cm (8 inch) deep round cake tin

* Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3. Grease the cake tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.

* Melt the dairy-free spread, cranberry juice and honey in a large heavy-based saucepan.

* Stir in the sour cherries, glacé cherries, raisins and sultanas, bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes, when the fruit should be plump and luscious.

* Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will fizz furiously for a while. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.

* Fold the flour, xanthan gum, ground almonds, nutmeg and candied peel with a large metal spoon into the fruit mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level with the back of a dessert spoon.

* Tear off a piece of baking parchment large enough to cover the top of the tin and halfway down the side of the tin. Cut a small circle out of the middle of the paper. Lay the paper over the top of the tin and tie it in place with string. Wrap a sheet of brown paper round the tin again, tying in place with string. This is to protect the cake during the long baking time. Place on a baking tray because a small amount of grease will seep out the bottom of the tin.

* Bake in the preheated oven for 2½ hours or until a metal skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave in the tin to cool for 1 hour.

* Run a knife round the collar of the cake, remove the cake from the tin and leave to finish cooling on a metal cooling rack.

* When completely cool, pierce the surface of the cake with a metal skewer and feed with a couple of tablespoons of brandy.