Kevin Dundon, chef/proprietor, Dunbrody House, Co Wexford

The festive period is hectic, the restaurant and the hotel are busy, so once the doors close for Christmas, it is family time. This year, as most years, I will spend Christmas at home with Catherine and the children. We will also have extended family join us later in the day.

I love a busy house at Christmas, preparing Christmas dinner, everybody helping, the clatter of cutlery as the girls set the table, the aromas in the kitchen, the din of chit chat and the sound of laughter.

Kevin Dundon’s Christmas Cake

300g currants

130g sultanas

130g raisins

100 glacé cherries, quartered

50g candied mixed peel, chopped

65g blanched, slivered almonds

35g ground almonds

Half a lemon, grated, rind and juice

Three-quarters of an orange, grated, rind and juice

1 dessert apple, peeled and grated

200g unsalted butter

200g dark muscovado sugar

4 eggs, beaten

235g plain flour

1 tsp cinnamon powder

½ tsp ground mixed spice

1 3/4 tbsp black treacle, (optional)

4 tbsp brandy or rum, to soak the cake after it’s baked (optional)

For the almond paste:

150g icing sugar, sieved

150g caster sugar

300g ground almonds

3 large egg yolks, beaten

½ tsp almond essence

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp rum

For the icing:

450g icing sugar

2 egg whites

½ tsp glycerine

Using double thickness greaseproof paper, line the base and sides of either an 8in or 9in cake tin.Tie a double band of brown paper around the outside of the tin. The paper helps absorb some of the oven heat and protects the cake from overcooking.

Mix the dried fruit, cherries, candied peel, almonds and ground almonds together. Stir in the lemon and orange rind, juices and grated apple. Leave to one side while you make the cake mixture.

Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas mark 2.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Sieve the flour and spices, and fold half the flour into the cake mixture. Stir in half the dried fruit mixture followed by the remaining flour and dried fruit. Stir in enough treacle to darken the cake. The mixture should have a soft dropping consistency. If it looks a tad dry, add a dash of brandy. Spoon into the prepared tin and make an indentation in the centre of the cake. This helps ensure an even rise.

Bake the cake for about three hours, until it’s firm to the touch. When the cake is pierced with a skewer, it should come out clean. If it looks as if it’s getting too brown in the oven, cover the surface of the cake with several layers of greaseproof paper.

Leave to cool in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack. Don’t bother taking the greaseproof paper off though. Pierce the cooled cake with a skewer and drizzle over a spoon of brandy. Do this a couple of times while it is maturing – once a week should be enough. If you can, it’s a good idea to give the cake about three weeks to mature before covering it with almond paste.

To store: wrap the cake in several layers of greaseproof paper and keep in an airtight box.

For the almond paste: place both the sugars in a mixing bowl with the ground almonds. Lightly beat the egg yolks, almond essence, lemon juice and rum. Add enough of the egg yolk mixture to the almonds and sugar and knead to make a soft but not sticky dough.

Turn onto a surface, which has been dusted with icing sugar, and knead until smooth. If you’re not using the paste straight away, keep covered with plastic wrap as it has a tendency to dry out.

To apply marzipan to a round cake: if the cake isn’t very level, turn the cake upside down and marzipan the base instead of the top. The top and sides of the cake are covered separately. Measure around the circumference of the cake using a piece of string. Brush the top with boiled apricot jam.

Dust a surface with icing sugar and roll out one-third of the marzipan for the top of the cake. Turn the cake onto the almond paste and trim away excess almond paste with a sharp knife so it fits the exact size of the cake. Turn the cake the right way again and set on a cake board.

Brush the sides of the cake with apricot jam and roll out the remaining almond paste to an oblong, the length of the piece of string. The width should be about the same height as the cake. Carefully roll up the almond paste oblong and smooth onto the sides of the cake. Trim with a sharp knife so that the paste fits the shape of the cake.

Leave the cake for about five days so that the almond paste has a chance to dry before covering with royal icing.

For the royal icing: Lightly whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until they are just beginning to get frothy. Stir in a couple of spoons of icing sugar and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Gradually add the rest of the sugar, beating well between each addition. Stir in the glycerine – this helps stop the icing from setting rock solid.

If you fancy flat-icing your cake, keep the icing fairly soft – a wooden spoon should stand upright in the icing and slowly fall to one side. For piping, you should add more icing sugar to make a stiffer icing which will hold its shape.

It’s a good idea to make the icing a day before you need it and let it sit in a covered bowl overnight. This way, the air bubbles will rise to the surface and you’re more likely to have a smoother finish when it comes to icing the cake. Spread this over the cake in a decorative fashion.