Prepare your 15cm fruitcake in advance, ideally up to a month prior, and wrap it in cling film for preservation. Each week, infuse it with a bit of dark rum or brandy by poking small holes on top and spooning the liquor inside.

Apply the marzipan layer to the fruitcake. Start by heating the apricot jam until it begins to bubble, then remove it from heat and sieve it to ensure smoothness. Trim the top of your fruitcake using a serrated bread knife, and brush the surface with the warm jam. Position the cake on the 15cm cake board, inverted. Knead the marzipan briefly into a smooth ball, dusting your work area with icing sugar. Measure the cake’s circumference using string or a tape measure to ensure accurate marzipan coverage. Roll out the marzipan into a large circle, ensuring it's big enough to cover the cake. Apply another layer of jam on the cake and carefully drape the marzipan over it. Smooth the top first and gently coax the marzipan down the sides without overlapping, using your hands. Trim any excess marzipan with a sharp knife. This can be done up to a month in advance.

Next, cover the cake drum with icing. Knead 500g of white icing into a ball, then roll it into a large circle on a surface dusted with icing sugar, ensuring it's wide enough to cover the 30cm cake drum. Brush the drum with cooled boiled water and lay the icing over it. Smooth out any air bubbles with a rolling pin, and trim the edges neatly with a sharp knife. If done in advance, store it in a cake box to avoid dust accumulation.

Bake the 23cm lemon cake. Once cooled, wrap it in baking parchment and cling film. It will keep fresh for up to 4 days, or you can freeze it for up to a month.

Prepare the buttercream by thoroughly beating together the softened butter, sifted icing sugar, and lemon zest. This can be prepared the day before you need it.

Trim and level the top of the lemon cake using a serrated bread knife. Spread a thin layer of buttercream onto the 23cm cake board, then invert the lemon cake onto the board. Brush the entire cake with a light coating of sieved apricot jam to prevent crumbs from mixing with the buttercream. Slice the cake in half horizontally, and spread a layer of buttercream on the bottom half. Replace the top half and press gently to level. Apply the remaining buttercream on the top and sides, smoothing it with a palette knife. Chill in the fridge until firm.

Roll 500g of icing for the smaller fruitcake and 900g for the larger lemon cake. Shape each into a ball and roll them out on a surface dusted with icing sugar. Measure to ensure the icing is large enough to cover each cake. For the fruitcake, brush the marzipan with cooled boiled water before covering it with icing. For the lemon cake, simply lay the icing over the buttercream layer. Smooth the icing over each cake, trimming any excess, and save the trimmings in cling film within a freezer bag for decorations.

To stabilize and stack the cakes, insert three plastic dowels in a triangular pattern about 2cm inside the smaller cake’s intended placement. Mark the top of each dowel where it meets the icing, remove them, and trim each to the highest mark. Insert the dowels back into the cake, rounded side down, and spread a thin layer of buttercream over them. Carefully position the smaller fruitcake on top of the larger lemon cake, using a palette knife for support if needed.

For the decoration, separate a small portion of icing and keep it white. Divide the remaining icing into four portions. Tint two quarters with the brown food colouring using a toothpick to achieve your desired shade, kneading until smooth. Gradually colour the remaining two portions with pink and blue, kneading well until evenly distributed. Wrap the icing in cling film and place it in a freezer bag to prevent it from drying out.

Begin decorating by rolling out the icing and cutting desired shapes. For a teddy bear, roll a small ball of icing for the head and a slightly larger one for the body. Attach the head to the body with edible glue. Create sausages of icing for arms and legs, attaching them to the body and flattening the ends to form paws. Add ears, eyes, and other details as desired using small pieces of icing. Use a toothpick dipped in food colouring paste for adding facial features. Complete the look with any additional decorations you wish to add.