Ingredients :

• Brown sugar (cassonade) — No white sugar here. Brown sugar brings a slight note of molasses that pairs perfectly with the dried fruits and citrus zest. La Perruche or any unrefined brown sugar works great.
• Blanched almonds for marzipan — Skinless almonds yield a smoother marzipan with a purer creamy white color. If you can’t find them, boil standard almonds for two minutes then rub them in a kitchen towel — the skins will slip right off.
• Dried fruits: raisins and cranberries — This is the heart of the cake. Sultana raisins for their sweetness, cranberries for their slight acidity to balance it all out. You can also add glacé cherries, diced dried apricots, or dates.
• Lemon and orange zest — Not the juice — the zest. These are what truly perfume the batter. Organic if possible, as untreated zest has an infinitely more intense aroma than treated fruit.