Combine all dried fruit and cherries with brandy and orange zest in a bowl.
Cover and soak for three days, stirring once daily.
Grease and line a 23cm deep round tin with a double layer of paper.
Preheat oven to 140°C.
Beat butter, sugar, eggs, treacle, and almonds until blended.
Mix in flour, ground spice, and soaked fruit.
Spoon mixture into tin and level surface.
Bake in oven centre for 4 to 4.5 hours until firm.
Cool cake in tin, then feed with extra brandy via skewer holes.
Wrap in paper and foil to store in a cool place.
Turn cake upside down on a cake board 5cm larger than the cake.
Brush the top and sides with warm apricot jam.
Roll marzipan 5cm larger than the cake and drape over it.
Smooth marzipan and leave to dry for a few days.
Whisk egg whites until frothy and gradually add icing sugar.
Stir in lemon juice and glycerine until stiff peaks form.
Spread royal icing over the cake and create peaks with a knife.
Allow icing to harden overnight before storing.