Step 1: Prepare Cake Batter

To make the cake batter, preheat oven to 325 F. Grease cake pan with butter and line bottom with parchment paper. In a large bowl add butter, brown sugar and beat together until light and fluffy. Then add eggs, plain flour and beat together until well mixed. Now add ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground mixed spice and beat together until well mixed. Then add ground almonds, currants, raisins, sultans, chopped glace cherries, mixed peel, chopped almonds, lemon zest, lemon juice, and mix together until well combined.

Step 2: Bake The Cake

To bake the cake, transfer the cake batter into prepared cake pan and smooth surface of the cake batter. Take a strip of brown paper wrap and wrap around cake pan to form a collar. Secure with string. Place cake pan in the oven and bake for 60 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 275 F and bake for a further 3 hours (180 minutes). Remove cake pan from the oven. Then remove string and brown paper wrap and leave it to cool completely in the cake pan.

Once the cake cooled, run a palette knife around the edges of cake pan to loosen cake. Carefully, turn cake pan upside down onto a serving plate and peel away parchment paper from the cake. Brush brandy over cake and let the brandy soak into the cake.

Step 3: Assemble Christmas Cake

To assemble Christmas cake, spread apricot jam over cake, take a marzipan icing and place over the cake and press it down on the top first and then on the sides. Use knife and trim excess marzipan icing from the base of cake. Smooth top and sides of marzipan icing with cake smoother. Allow cake to dry out for 2-3 days. Repeat same process with remaining apricot jam and cover with fondant icing.

Step 4: Decorate Christmas Cake

To decorate Christmas cake, pipe white frosting over the cake edges of your desired pattern and decorate top of the cake with edible fondant Christmas trees, Santa Claus and gifts. Place edible fondant Christmas trees on the side walls of the cake. Use red frosting and write some texts of your choice over Christmas cake. Now your Christmas cake is ready to serve. Enjoy!