Assembling A Fruit Wedding Cake: A Step-By-Step Guide

A fruit wedding cake is a traditional choice for a couple's special day. This three-tiered cake is a gorgeous centrepiece and a real showstopper. To assemble a fruit wedding cake, you'll need to prepare the tiers, soak the fruit, and make the batter. You'll also need to level the cakes, add jam, and cover them in marzipan. Finally, you'll stack the tiers using dowels and royal icing.

Preparing the cake tin

To prepare the cake tin, preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan, 300°F, gas mark 2). Grease and line the cake tin using a double thickness of baking paper. Tie a double thickness of brown paper around the outside of the tin and then stand the tin on a baking sheet which has also been lined with a double thickness of brown paper.

Once you have prepared the fruit mixture, spoon it into the tin and spread it evenly. Tap the tin on the work surface a few times to get rid of any air pockets. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon, making a light dip in the middle of the cake.

The smallest tier should take 2 1/2 hours to bake, the middle tier 4 hours and the largest tier will bake for 6 hours.

Mixing the batter

Next, place the currants, sultanas, raisins, glace cherries, and mixed peel in a large mixing bowl. Add brandy and mix well. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave the mixture to soak for a few hours, preferably overnight.

In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, mixed spice, and cinnamon. Add the almonds and set aside. In another bowl, place the butter, sugar, and grated lemon zest. Beat these ingredients together until light and fluffy, using an electric mixer if possible.

Finally, combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, folding them together until well combined. Add the soaked fruits along with any remaining liquid, folding until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Baking the cake

Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan, 300°F, gas mark 2). Grease and line the cake tin with a double thickness of baking paper. Tie a double thickness of brown paper around the outside of the tin and then stand the tin on a baking sheet which has also been lined with a double thickness of brown paper. Place currants, sultanas, raisins, glace cherries, mixed peel, and brandy in a large mixing bowl. Mix well, cover with cling film, and leave to soak for a few hours, preferably overnight.

Sift the flour, mixed spice, and cinnamon together in another large bowl. Add the almonds. Place the butter, sugar, and grated lemon zest into a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. This is best done with an electric mixer, especially for larger quantities. Fold in the flour and spice mix until well combined. Finally, add the soaked fruits along with any remaining liquid that may be in the bowl. Fold until evenly distributed through the mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly. Tap the tin on the work surface a few times to get rid of any air pockets. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon, making a light dip in the middle of the cake. Bake in the centre of the oven – the smallest tier should take 2 1/2 hours, the middle tier 4 hours, and the largest tier will bake for 6 hours.

Stacking the tiers

To assemble a fruit wedding cake, you will need to follow these steps:

Firstly, cut out a template the same size as the second layer and place it in the position of the second tier. Mark each corner with a needle. Next, push a plastic dowel into the cake and mark with a pencil where it comes out of the cake. Remove the dowels and trim them about 1-2mm above the mark, then stick them back into the cake. Pipe some royal icing onto the centre of the bottom tier to secure the second tier. Carefully place the second tier onto the bottom one.

For the fruit cake itself, you will need to fold in flour and a spice mix until well combined. Finally, add the soaked fruits along with any remaining liquid in the bowl. Fold until evenly distributed through the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly. Tap the tin on the work surface a few times to get rid of any air pockets. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon, making a light dip in the middle of the cake. Bake in the centre of the oven - the smallest tier should take 2 1/2 hours, the middle tier 4 hours and the largest tier will bake for 6 hours.

Before baking, preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan, 300°F, gas mark 2). Grease and line the appropriate cake tin using a double thickness of baking paper. Tie a double thickness of brown paper around the outside of the tin and then stand the tin on a baking sheet which has also been lined with a double thickness of brown paper. Place currants, sultanas, raisins, glace cherries and mixed peel in a large mixing bowl. Add the brandy, mix well and cover with cling film. Leave to soak for a few hours, preferably overnight. Sift the flour, mixed spice and cinnamon together in another large bowl. Add the almonds. Place the butter, sugar and grated lemon zest into a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. This would be better done with an electric mixer, especially for larger cakes.

Decorating the cake

To decorate your fruit wedding cake, you'll first need to level the top of the cake and place it on a thin cake board. Then, paint the top with apricot jam and turn it upside down. Measure the top and sides of the cake with a piece of string, then roll out your marzipan until it's large enough to cover the cake, using the string as a guide. Dust your work surface with icing sugar to make this process easier.

Next, paint the cake all over with apricot jam and cover it with the marzipan, using the string measurement as a guide. If your cake has multiple tiers, you'll need to cut out a template for each tier, marking the corners with a needle. Push a plastic dowel into the cake, trim it to size, and stick it back into the cake to provide support for the next tier. Pipe some royal icing onto the centre of the bottom tier to secure the second tier, then carefully place the second tier on top.

For a simple, elegant finish, you can decorate the cake with fresh or dried fruit, flowers, or greenery. You could also add a cake topper with the couple's initials or a personalised message.

Frequently asked questions