Serves 12-14
Ingredients
- 450 g/1 lb./4 cups blanched almonds
- 300 g/11 oz./2 ¾ cups icing/confectioners’ sugar. plus, extra for dusting and rolling
- 4 egg whites
- 125 g/4 oz./1 small Madeira or plain sponge cake
- 2 tbsp. Marsala wine
- 225 g/8 oz./1 cup ricotta cheese
- 50 g/2 oz./ ¼ cup caster/superfine sugar
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 50 g/2 oz./ 1/3 cup finely chopped mixed/candied peel
- 25 g/1 oz./1 tbsp. chopped glace/candied cherries
- 425 g/15 oz./2 cups drained canned peach halves
- 200 ml/7 fl oz./ ¾ cup double/heavy cream
Directions
Grind the blanched almonds in a food processor until fairly fine. Mix with 200 g/7 oz./ 2/3 cup of the icing/confectioners· sugar.
Beat the egg whites until stiff. then fold into the almond mixture using a metal spoon or rubber spatula to form a stiffish dough. It will still be quite sticky but will firm up as it rests. Leave for 30 minutes.
Generously dust a work surface/countertop with some of the remaining icing sugar so that the marzipan does not stick. Roll out two-thirds of the marzipan into a large sheet to a thickness of about 5 mm/ ¼ inch. Use to line a sloping-sided baking dish with a base measuring 25 x 20.5 cm/10 x 8 inches. Trim the edges and put any trimmings with the remaining marzipan.
Cut the Madeira cake into thin slices and make a layer of sponge to cover the bottom of the marzipan. Sprinkle with the Marsala wine.
Beat the ricotta cheese with the sugar and add the lemon zest. mixed/candied peel and glace/candied cherries.
Spread this over the sponge. Slice the peaches and put them on top of the ricotta. Whip the cream and spread it over the peaches.
Roll out the remaining marzipan and lay it over the cream to seal the whole cake. pressing down gently to remove any air. Press the edges of the marzipan together. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Turn the cake out onto a serving plate. Dust generously with icing sugar. Slice thickly and serve immediately.