Preheat the oven to 180°C,350°F, gas mark 4.

Grease and line a 20cm (8 inch) cake tin with baking parchment.

Cream the butter and sugar until soft, add the lemon rind.

Add the eggs and mix together.

Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt to the mixture.

Chop the cherries in half and add them with the sultanas, peel and currants to the cake mixture.

Place half the cake mixture into the cake tin.

Take about a third of the marzipan and roll it into a circle. Place in the cake tin on top of the cake mixture.

Add the rest of the cake mixture on top of the marzipan, making a well in the centre so it rises evenly.

Wrap some newspaper around the cake tin to insulate it from the heat, it can be secured with string.

Bake in the oven for two hours then reduce the heat to 150°C 300°F gas mark 2. Bake for a another 30 minutes, until a skewer or knife placed into the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool.

Put aside a small amount of the marzipan to make the balls to decorate the cake.

Roll the rest into a circle and place on the top of the cake. You can use a little apricot jam to secure it to the top of the cake.

Make eleven marzipan balls and place them around the edge of the cake.

Preheat a grill and place the cake underneath it. Carefully brown the marzipan.