Mini Christmas Cakes

Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan assisted oven, 325°F, gas mark 3). Lightly spray 9 x 115ml (4fl.oz) baking moulds or muffin tins with Cake Release Spray. Mix the dried fruit with the Natural Sicilian Lemon Extract and orange liqueur, and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and treacle together until soft and creamy then beat in the eggs. Sift the flour, Baking Powder and spice on top and add the fruit mixture. Carefully mix all of the ingredients together and then spoon half the mixture into the prepared tins to half fill them.

Divide the Marzipan into 9 pieces and form each into discs to cover the cake mixture in the tins. Spoon over the remaining mixture and smooth the tops. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then loosen with a knife and turn on to a wire rack to cool. Wrap up the cakes well and store for at least 24 hours before decorating.

When ready to serve the cakes, brush the cake tops a little honey. Lightly dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out the Regal-Ice Ready to Roll Icing to a thickness of 5mm (1/4inch) thick. Cut out discs of icing the same size as the top of your cakes, re-rolling as necessary, and secure on top of each cake. Reserve the Regal-Ice Ready to Roll Icing trimmings. Alternatively, leave the tops uniced.

To decorate, roll out the trimmings thinly and cut out stars and snowflakes using small cutters. Spray the stars with Gold or Silver Shimmer Spray, place onto the top of the cakes and decorate with Soft Silver Pearls as desired. Decorate the cakes with ribbon to serve.

These cakes are ready to eat within a couple of days of baking, but will keep, well wrapped and stored in an airtight container for about a month.

Recipe courtesy of: Dr. Oetker