1. Roughly chop the cranberries and candied fruit. Place together with the rum in a container that can be tightly sealed, mix and let sit overnight (or longer) to give the fruit a chance to soak up the rum.

2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix until well combined. Next, add the quark and vanilla extract and mix well. Combine flour, ground almonds, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and salt. Add to the large bowl and mix/knead until you get a smooth dough. You might want to work on a floured work surface when the dough starts coming together. Add the rum-soaked fruit and work it into the dough.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside.

4. Roll out the dough into a rectangle with approx. 30x24cm. Roll out the marzipan separately between two layers of greaseproof paper into a rectangle with approx. 25x20cm. If the marzipan gets a bit sticky, dust it with some confectioners’ sugar. Place the marzipan sheet in the center of the dough rectangle, and roll up the dough and marzipan together towards the center from the shorter sides of the rectangle. To get the typical shape for this bake, you should roll up one side a little less than the other. This will give you sides with different heights. Brush the dough with a little water in the center where the two sides meet and press together. Place the stollen on the prepared baking sheet and bring it into its final shape.

5. Bake the stollen for about 48-50 minutes. The stollen should be golden brown, but not too dark. If necessary, cover with some aluminum foil or a piece of baking parchment towards the end of the baking time and continue baking.

6. Melt the butter and let it cool down slightly. Remove the stollen from the oven and brush it with the melted butter. Dust the whole stollen with confectioners’ sugar, then brush again with more melted butter and dust again with confectioners’ sugar. The stollen should be thickly dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

7. Pull the stollen together with the baking parchment onto a cooling rack and let it cool down completely. Wrap the cooled stollen in aluminum foil and let it rest for 1-2 days. Dust with some more confectioners’ sugar before cutting it into slices and enjoy. The stollen should be eaten within a week or so.