Cake of kings

Ingredients

• 85 g candied orange peel chopped
• 100 g raisins 
• 50 g pinenuts 
• 50 g cherries 
• 5 tbsp cooking sherry 
• 500 g flour plain
• 3 tsp yeast 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 150 ml milk 
• 100 g butter softened
• 100 g sugar 
• 2  lemon zest grated
• 1  orange zest grated
• 4  eggs beaten
• 195 g fruit 
• 6  sugar 
• 1  egg yolk with 1 tbsp water beaten
• 20 servings apricot preserves 
• 1  frangelico dried (in greaseproof paper)
• 1  frangelico dried (in greaseproof paper)

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• mixing bowl
• wire rack
• kitchen towels
• rolling pin

Directions

1. Soak citrus peel, raisins, pine nuts and cherries in the sherry or brandy overnight until plump. Measure 140g/5oz of the fl our in a large mixing bowl and mix with the yeast. Tip the remaining flour and salt into a separate bowl and set aside.
2. Heat the milk until just warm, make a well in the centre of the flour mix, and gradually add the milk to form a batter, beating until smooth. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 20 mins, until frothy.
3. In another bowl, beat butter, sugar and zests until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Dont worry if it curdles, this wont affect the final cake. Stir the mix into the batter, along with the remaining flour, to make a dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 mins, until smooth and elastic. Knead in the fruit mix, a bit at a time, kneading after each addition until evenly distributed. This bit is messy, but dust the dough and your hands with flour as you work.
5. Pop the dough into a clean bowl and cover. Leave for 2 hrs, until doubled in size. Butter a large baking sheet. Knead the dough again briefly, then shape into a sausage, about 50cm long. Curl onto the baking sheet to make a ring, pinching the ends to join. Tuck the trinket under the cake, cover and leave for 1 hr, until doubled in size.
6. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas
7. Slice the candied fruits and crush the sugar lumps into small pieces (put them in a cup and use the end of a rolling pin).
8. Brush the top of the ring with egg and decorate with candied fruits and sugar.
9. Bake for 45 mins, then transfer to a wire rack and brush the top with jam. Leave to cool before cutting.