Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a bundt pan with non-stick vegetable oil spray and lightly dust with flour.
Separate the eggs. Beat the whites with salt to stiff peaks, and reserve the yolks.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until the mixture lightens in color and looks fluffy and creamy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Mix in the grated almond paste. Add the yolks and almond extract and beat until well combined.
With a spatula, stir in the flour and then gently fold in the egg whites. Lastly, mix in the candied fruit.
Pour the mixture into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake on the middle rack for 1 hour.
Remove the cake from the oven, and gently loosen its edges using a heatproof spatula. Turn the pan over onto a cooling rack. After 10 minutes, lift the pan off the marzipan Gugelhupf, and allow it to cool completely.
Pour cooled cake with chocolate glaze or sprinkle with icing sugar.
Chocolate Glaze
Combine the chopped chocolate and coconut oil in a medium heatproof bowl and place over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water (with the bowl not touching the water). Heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture is fully melted and combined.
Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Notes
~ Free Tips ~
*The marzipan or almond paste is best grated if it has been frozen or kept in the refrigerator.
You can add one tablespoon of dark/spiced rum to the cake for a little bit more flavor.
The chocolate glaze is a homemade version of the store-bought chocolate sauce that hardens when poured over ice cream. The coconut oil makes the chocolate more fluid and encourages it to set faster when it’s applied to a chilled surface.
Cut the cake with a hot knife, so that the chocolate doesn't break. To do this, fill a tall container/pitcher with hot tap water deep enough to cover the entire blade of your knife. Dip the knife into the hot water, and wipe it dry on a clean towel before making a cut.
The bundt cake can be frozen without the glaze. The covered glazed cake will keep fresh in the refrigerator up to 4 days.