Preheat your oven to 130°C (fan)/150°C/gas mark 2. Grease and line the base of a 20cm (8 inch) round cake tin with baking paper. Use a loose bottomed tin if you have one.

Place 4 tablespoons ground flax seed into a small bowl. Add 8 tablespoons of cold water and stir well. Set aside to thicken.

Place 225g dairy free butter and 225g light brown sugar into a stand mixer or mixing bowl and beat well for 2 minutes until well combined.

Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl (the flax egg, 225g plain flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 400g dried mixed fruit, 80g glacé cherries, the zest of two lemons and 2 teaspoons of mixed spice.

Beat together until well combined.

Transfer half of the cake mixture to your prepared cake tin.

Roll out a third of your marzipan into a circle that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the tin.

Place this on top of the cake mixture

Spoon the rest of the cake mixture on top and level the surface

Bake in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours until the cake is firm to touch, the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the tin for at least an hour. If you have time allow it to cool completely in the tin - this will help it to hold together.

Carefully turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling (if you’ve cooled it completely in the tin you can transfer straight to a board.

Gently warm your apricot jam and brush it over the top of the cake.

Use your hands to roll the remaining marzipan into 11 balls and place around the outside of the cake.

To brown the marzipan place under a preheated grill for a few minutes - checking often to avoid burning - or use a small kitchen blowtorch.

Store in an airtight container.