Tennis Cake

A light fruit cake decorated with marzipan and fondant to resemble a tennis court, featuring hand-piped rackets and net.

Estimated Nutrition

Per Serving Total
Calories 876.3 kcals 10515.6 kcals
Carbohydrates 154.7 grams 1855.9 grams
Fat 27.4 grams 328.2 grams
Protein 9.9 grams 118.4 grams
Cook Time
120 mins
Produces
12 people
Allergies
Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy Free
Gluten Free

Ingredients

BakingIngredients
150
g
Caster Sugar
For the almond paste
150
g
Icing Sugar
For the almond paste, sifted
675
g
Icing Sugar
For royal icing, sifted
1.5
tsp
500
g
Icing Sugar
For fondant
Dairy
250
g
Butter
Unsalted, softened
5
piece
Eggs
Large, free-range, lightly beaten
1
piece
Egg
For the almond paste, preferably pasteurised
Fruits
350
g
Glacé Cherries
Red or natural, cut into quarters
225
g
Pineapple
Tinned in natural juice, drained and roughly chopped
350
g
Apricots
Ready-to-eat dried, chopped
350
g
2
piece
Lemon
Finely grated zest only
NutsSeeds
100
g
Almonds
Blanched, roughly chopped
75
g
Ground Almonds
For the cake batter
250
g
Ground Almonds
For the almond paste
Other
3
piece
Egg Whites
For royal icing, preferably pasteurised
1
piece
Gel Food Colouring
Dusky pink, autumn leaf, and mint green

Steps

  • Preheat oven to 160°C and line a 23x15cm rectangular tin with double-layered parchment.
  • Rinse, drain, and thoroughly dry cherries and pineapple with kitchen paper.
  • Mix cherries, pineapple, apricots, chopped almonds, sultanas, and lemon zest in a bowl.
  • Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in eggs and flour.
  • Fold in ground almonds and the fruit mixture, then level in the tin.
  • Bake for 2 hours, covering with foil after 1 hour to prevent over-browning.
  • Cool in tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
  • Mix almond paste ingredients to a stiff paste and wrap in cling film.
  • Whisk egg whites and icing sugar until very stiff to create royal icing.
  • Dissolve gelatine with water, glucose, and glycerine over simmering water.
  • Mix gelatine liquid with icing sugar and knead into a smooth fondant.
  • Reserve a small white piece of fondant and colour the rest pale green.
  • Roll out almond paste to a 23x15cm rectangle.
  • Roll out green fondant to a 23x15cm rectangle and place over the almond paste.
  • Pipe white royal icing court lines onto the green fondant.
  • Pipe tennis rackets and a net onto greaseproof paper and allow to dry.
  • Pipe a decorative pink and gold border around the fondant edges.
  • Assemble the iced layers onto the cooled cake.
  • Attach the net, rackets, and a small fondant ball to the court surface.