Decoration

• How to make a Christmas cake
• Steps 1-4
• Steps 5-7
• Decoration

To decorate
4tbsp apricot jam
700g natural marzipan
2tbsp sherry or rum
700g royal icing
1 punnet redcurrants
5 holly leaves
Icing sugar to dust

1 Place the cake on a board. Put the jam in a bowl, stir in 1tbsp boiling water to make a glaze and brush all over the cake. Roll out the marzipan on a surface dusted with icing sugar, aiming for a 23cm square. Don't roll the marzipan or icing too thin, otherwise they may tear, making it hard to get a smooth surface.

2 Lift marzipan with a rolling pin to avoid tearing. To do this, sit the rolling pin on one edge of the marzipan and roll, lifting as you go. Place it over the cake and gently smooth the top of the marzipan with the rolling pin. Lower the sides, smoothing the surface with the palms of your hands. Trim any excess marzipan.

3 Brush marzipan with sherry or rum. Roll out icing (as for Step 1) and cover the cake using the same method as before. Trim excess icing, then smooth the surface with your hands. The less you fiddle with the icing, the better, so don't worry if you don't get a perfectly smooth surface. The decorations and icing sugar will help cover up any imperfections. Leave to dry for an hour.

4 Pile up redcurrants on the centre of the cake and add the holly leaves. Finish with a light dusting of icing sugar.

As a tasty addition to your cake why not serve with a couple of scoops of Carte D'Or Rum & Raisin ice cream. 

Want more? Go back to our Christmas section

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