Mini Christmas Cakes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/335°F. Place the currants, sultanas, candied peel and cherries into a small pan. Add the zest and juice, heat gently for one minute until the juice is hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat and cool to allow the fruit to plump up.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, syrup and treacle until pale and light, this will take approx. 3-4 minutes. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition. Fold in the flour, mixed spice and salt, add the fruit mixture and milk, and stir to combine.
3. Divide the cake batter evenly between the cups of the tin and bake on a low shelf for about 25 minutes or until well risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the tin for 2-3 minutes then turn onto a wire rack and leave until completely cold.
4. Brush the top of each cake with half of the apricot jam. Lightly dust a surface with icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to the thickness of a pound coin. Cut 12 discs using a 5.5cm diameter cookie cutter.
5. Place a marzipan disc on top of each cake and brush lightly with the remaining apricot jam. Clean the rolling surface, dust again with icing sugar then roll out the royal icing to the same thickness. Using the same cutter, stamp out 12 discs, lay the stencil on top of an icing disc and roll over gently with a rolling pin to imprint the design. Decorate with edible silk or lustre powder, remove the stencil and place the icing disc on top of one of the cakes. Repeat with the remaining icing discs.