Decorated Christmas Cake with Fondant and Marzipan
Traditional British Christmas cake layered with marzipan and fondant icing. Rich fruit cake enriched with currants, raisins, sultanas, cherries, and mixed peel, spiced with nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and mixed spice. Baked low and slow to develop deep flavor. Cake matures for weeks before decorating with fondant shapes and edible gold.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fondant icing
- 19 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups soft brown sugar
- 6 eggs, beaten, medium
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 tsp nutmeg, ground
- 2 tsp ginger, ground
- 1 tsp cinnamon, ground
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 3 ½ oz ground almonds
- 12 oz currantsdried blueberries1:1dried fruit
more tart flavor
- 12 oz raisins
- 12 oz sultanasgolden raisins1:1dried fruit
slightly more delicate
- 6 oz cherries, chopped
- 6 oz mixed peel, choppedcandied orange peel1:1citrus peel
- 1 ¾ oz almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- 1 lb marzipan
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and double-line base and sides of 8 ⅛" round loose-bottomed tin.
- 2
Cream softened butter and soft brown sugar until pale.
- 3
Gradually beat in beaten eggs, adding a little flour if needed.
- 4
Sift remaining flour and spices together, fold into mixture.
- 5
Stir in ground almonds, currants, raisins, sultanas, chopped cherries, mixed peel, chopped almonds, lemon zest, lemon juice, and brandy.
- 6
Spoon into prepared tin and smooth surface. Make a shallow dip in center.
- 7
Wrap a strip of brown wrapping paper around outside of tin to form collar. Secure with string.
- 8
Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
- 9
Reduce oven temperature to 275°F. Continue baking for 2.5 to 3 hours. Cover cake with greaseproof paper if top is browning too quickly.
- 10
Remove from oven and cool slightly, then turn out of tin.
- 11
Peel away lining paper and prick base with skewer.
- 12
Pour brandy over base.
- 13
Wrap in greaseproof paper and foil, store in airtight container until ready to decorate.
- 14
When decorating, turn cake upside down and place on cake board.
- 15
Knead marzipan and break into small pieces. Roll into sausage shapes and fill any gaps at base of upturned cake.
- 16
Warm jam and brandy together in saucepan. Brush over cake surface.
- 17
Roll out marzipan to round matching cake circumference. Lift onto cake.
- 18
Knead fondant icing and roll out on powdered sugar-covered surface. Cut to cake circumference.
- 19
Brush marzipan with a little brandy and lift fondant icing over. Smooth well.
- 20
Decorate with fondant cutouts (stars, snowflakes, etc.) if desired. Apply edible gold sparkle and ribbon as preferred.
Tips
Bake cake in November for best flavor development; store until 1-2 weeks before Christmas to decorate.
Wrap brown paper collar around tin to protect sides from over-browning during long bake.
Cover cake top with greaseproof paper during second bake phase if browning too quickly.
After decorating, store in non-airtight container to prevent fondant icing from becoming soggy.
Good to Know
Wrapped in greaseproof paper and foil in airtight container. Matures for weeks before decorating. After decoration with fondant, store in non-airtight container to prevent icing becoming soggy.
Bake in November, decorate 1-2 weeks before Christmas. Cake improves with age.
Slice and serve at room temperature. Pairs well with tea, coffee, or fortified wine.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the brown paper collar around tin to avoid over-browning cake sides during long bake.
Do not cover cake in fondant while warm to avoid condensation making icing soggy.
Do not store decorated cake in airtight container to avoid fondant icing becoming damp.
Do not rush the second baking phase; slower baking at lower temperature prevents dry cake.
Substitutions
more tart flavor