The delicious Easter cake

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan140°C/gas 3. Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin with non-stick baking paper. In a large bowl beat the butter, sugar and orange zest together until light and fluffy. Stir in the ground almonds and mixed spice. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the hazelnuts, flour, baking powder and the hazelnut liqueur until smooth. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour, then cover with foil and bake for a further 50 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just smooth, but don’t overbeat. Spread all over the top and sides of the cake with a palette knife and leave to set.

3. Roll out the marzipan on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar large enough to cover the whole cake. Roll up on a rolling pin, then unroll over the cake and press lightly into the sides and trim neatly. Decorate with sugar-coated chocolate eggs in pretty colours and a big ribbon.