Marmalade Cake

Cake
2 cups mixed dried or candied fruit, such as
    3/4 cup chopped dried apricots, 1/4 cup
    chopped citron, and 1 cup dried currants
1 cup hot strong tea
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup tart marmalade
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Butter and flour a 2-quart Charlotte mold, 7 inches in diameter and 4 1/2 inches deep. Line bottom with buttered and floured wax paper.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In medium bowl, soak fruit in hot tea. Set aside.

In large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar at medium speed of electric mixer until fluffy, scraping sides of bowl often. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in marmalade.

Sift together flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg and salt. gradually add to batter at low speed. Stir in walnuts. Mix well. Stir in fruit and tea mixture. Spread in mold. Bake for 2 1/2 hours until firm in center.

Cool in pan on rack. Invert cake onto cake plate; remove wax paper.

Marzipan Topping
1 (3 1/2 ounce) roll almond paste (marzipan)

Roll out marzipan between sheets of wax paper into a circle the same size as top of cake. Remove top sheet of paper. Trim edges of marzipan to form an even circle. Invert marzipan on top of cake and peel off remaining paper.

Marmalade Sauce
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon orange juice

In small saucepan, combine marmalade and orange juice. Melt over medium heat, stirring often. Pour around base of cake.

To serve, decorate top of cake with fresh orange blossoms and leaves. Cut into thin slices to serve.