At last I found time to decorate the Christmas cake on Sunday. I bought ready made icing and marzipan. It was natural coloured marzipan just made with ground almonds and no artificial colouring.
I used ginger, not apricot jam as is usually recommended because I had a little bit left over in the cupboard. I strained it to remove the crystallised ginger and warmed it in a saucepan with a tiny drop of water then glazed the cake. Then subsequently discovered that if you want a really flat cake you should turn it upside down as the bottom is much flatter. But I was happy with my more rustic version.
I dusted the work surface with icing sugar and then rolled out the marzipan to about a centimetre thick. Then used the loose bottom of the cake pan to cut out a circle.
Placed this onto the top of the cake.
Then did the same with the icing.
I then measured the side of the cake and cut a strip to stick to it.
I wanted a simple decoration and so cut out a snowflake pattern and then dusted the cake with cocoa powder....
...after first experimenting on the work surface......
I think this is probably inspired by lots of cups of coffee decorated with cute sprinkle patterns....I was a little heavy handed with the cocoa but pleased with the results. I could also have painted through the template with cake dye had I used baking parchment or greaseproof paper for a slightly different effect.
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