Name: Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas Cake Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 85g apricot jam; 50g sifted icing sugar, plus extra for dusting; 750g marzipan; 1kg pack ready-to-roll regal icing; A little red food colouring; Round sweets, such as Liquorice Allsorts, for decoration

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Introduction

This festive Christmas cake is wrapped in sweet marzipan and smooth royal icing, decorated with cheerful “Ho, Ho, Ho” letters and colorful sweets. It’s a delightful centerpiece for holiday celebrations and impresses with its charming look and rich flavors.

The image shows a round cake covered evenly with smooth white fondant on top and sides. Around the base, there is a neat ring of red piped frosting with small red dots creating a decorative border. On the top surface, the cake is decorated with evenly spaced blue sugar spheres that have a rough texture, alternating with red letter H shapes made of fondant, placed in a circle near the edge. The cake sits on a flat white plate with a red base, and the background is a white marbled texture. A few bright red berry sprigs are placed near the cake on the right side. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

85g apricot jam
50g sifted icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
750g marzipan
1kg pack ready-to-roll regal icing
A little red food colouring
Round sweets, such as Liquorice Allsorts

Instructions

Step 1: Melt the apricot jam, then sieve it. Brush a little of the jam all over a 23cm fruitcake to help the coverings stick.
Step 2: On a clean surface lightly dusted with sifted icing sugar, roll out the marzipan into a circle large enough to cover the cake. You can use a piece of kitchen string around the cake as a size guide.
Step 3: Lift the marzipan by draping it over your rolling pin, then gently place it over the cake. Smooth the marzipan down the sides, patting carefully to remove any air pockets, and trim any excess from the base.
Step 4: Brush the marzipan with more apricot jam. Then, roll out 900g of the ready-to-roll royal icing to the same size as the marzipan circle and carefully cover the cake, smoothing down the sides. Trim any excess icing at the base as neatly as possible.
Step 5: Tie a pretty ribbon around the base to hide any rough edges and add a festive touch.
Step 6: Dye the remaining 100g of icing with a little red food colouring. Roll it out thinly and cut or stamp out several ‘H’ shapes for your decoration.
Step 7: Make a paste by dribbling a little water into 50g sifted icing sugar. Use this paste to dot the backs of the red ‘H’ shapes and round sweets, then stick them evenly around the top edge of the cake to spell out “Ho, Ho, Ho”.

Tips & Variations

Use kitchen string as a guide to roll out marzipan and icing to the exact size of your cake.
If you like, replace Liquorice Allsorts with colorful candies or dried fruit for decoration.
For a smoother finish, gently warm the marzipan and icing with your hands before draping them over the cake.
Consider adding edible glitter or dust to give the cake extra sparkle for the holidays.

Storage

Store the decorated cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. Avoid refrigeration, as it can cause the icing to sweat. Before serving, let the cake sit for 30 minutes to return to room temperature if it’s been chilled.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I prepare the cake decorations in advance?

Yes, you can cut out the red icing ‘H’ shapes and prepare the icing paste a day ahead. Store the decorations in an airtight container to keep them fresh until you’re ready to assemble.

What cake works best for this recipe?

A rich fruitcake about 23cm in diameter works best, as its dense texture holds up well under the marzipan and icing layers and complements the sweetness perfectly.