Description
This festive Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas cake is a beautifully decorated fruitcake covered with smooth marzipan and regal icing. Finished with charming red ‘H’ shapes and colorful round sweets, it’s perfect for the holiday season and sure to impress your friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake Covering
- 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
Instructions
- Prepare Apricot Jam Base: Melt the apricot jam in a small saucepan and then sieve it to remove any chunks. Brush a little of this apricot jam all over a 23cm fruitcake to help the coverings stick.
- Roll Out Marzipan: Lightly dust a clean surface with sifted icing sugar. Roll out 750g of marzipan into a circle large enough to cover the entire cake. Use a piece of kitchen string to measure the correct size to ensure it will drape the cake fully.
- Cover Cake with Marzipan: Hang the rolled marzipan over your rolling pin and carefully lift it onto the cake. Gently pat and smooth the marzipan down the sides of the cake, trimming any excess from the bottom for a neat edge.
- Prepare and Apply Regal Icing: Brush the marzipan layer with more apricot jam. Roll out 900g of the ready-to-roll regal icing on a lightly dusted surface until it’s large enough to cover the cake. Carefully drape this over the marzipan-covered cake and smooth down the sides. Trim the base neatly and tie a decorative ribbon around the bottom edge to conceal any imperfections.
- Make Red ‘H’ Decorations: Dye the remaining 100g of regal icing with a little red food colouring. Roll it out thinly and use cutters or stamps to make several ‘H’ shapes.
- Attach Decorations: Mix 50g sifted icing sugar with a few drops of water to create a thick paste. Dot a little of this paste on the back of each ‘H’ shape and some round sweets. Attach these evenly spaced around the top of the cake, spelling out ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’ for a festive finish.
Notes
- Use a 23cm fruitcake as the base for the best results.
- Lightly dusting your work surface prevents sticking when rolling marzipan and icing.
- The apricot jam acts as a glue for the layers, so ensure it’s evenly spread.
- The ribbon around the base hides the cutting edges and adds a decorative touch.
- Adjust the intensity of red food colouring to achieve your desired shade.
- Store the finished cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks to maintain freshness.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: Christmas cake, fruitcake, marzipan, royal icing, holiday dessert, festive cake, apricot jam, decorated cake
