Birthday cake for my son

Today I made a Birthday cake for my son Sam who turns 13 on Saturday I choice to make a dense fruit cake with glace cherries and sultanas with lemon peel and a dash on cognac (the alcohol will burn off during baking) I then prepared a fondant icing which I dyed blue which is his favourite colour. Its lactose free and with the very minimum of gluten. Ingredients 250g Lactose free butter, softened 250g light muscovado sugar 1 level tbsp ginger 1 level tbsp ground cinnamon Finely zested rind and juice of 1 lemon and half orange 300g coconut flour (asda) 1lbs packet dried mixed fruit 1 x 170g packet Glace cherries and 1 x 170g packet sultanas ¥6tbs oak aged fine Cognac 20cm round cake tin or 18cm square, lined with baking parchment, or 2 x 1 litre ovenproof pudding basins, well buttered and floured Method To ensure that the cake will be central in the oven, position a shelf just below the centre. Set the oven to 140°C/275°F/Gas Mark 1. In a bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, ginger, cinnamon and orange and lemon zest until light and fluffy., adding a little coconut flour until all mixed. Beat in the orange and lemon juice. Fold in dried mixed fruit and cherries Spoon mixture into the prepared tin or bowl, level the surface, and smooth with a wet hand. Place the cake in the centre of the oven. Round and square cakes take about 4-4½ hours, and basin cakes take about 3-3½ hours, or until firm to the touch in the centre and a skewer comes out clean after being inserted into the cake. Place the tin/basin on a wire rack to cool for about 15 mins. Spoon over the Cognac Let round or square cakes cool completely in their tins, but turn the basin cakes out on to a wire rack to cool. I then spread on strawberry jam to help the icing which I am about to apply stick down.

For the Fondant icing I use sugar, water and cream of tartar, which are boiled together until the syrup reaches what is called soft ball stage (when a spoonful of the sugar syrup is dropped into a bowl of cold water and forms a soft ball when rolled between the fingers). The mixture is kneaded into a smooth dough, then I add the blue food dye, knead more then roll out flat and cover the cake cutting the excess off. I then finished by putting some popping candy around the cake. A little writing on the top with icing and one birthday cake made. The only tragedy is I won’t see him to give him it due to a certain situation but Sam is in my thoughts and heart always and I made this cake with love for him. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM Daddy loves you Son