PINE CONE WREATH CAKE

Impress your friends with this simple and elegant decoration

SERVES 20 ✳ PREP 1hr 30min, plus overnight drying (two nights)

✳ 23cm fruit cake (9in)

✳ 2-3tbsp sieved apricot jam

✳ Icing sugar, to dust

✳ 750g (1lb 10½oz) each golden marzipan and white ready-to-roll sugarpaste icing

TO DECORATE

✳ 60g (2½oz) golden marzipan ✳ Flaked toasted almonds,

✳ 1 medium egg white

✳ About 10 rosemary sprigs

✳ Caster sugar, to coat

✳ Cinnamon sticks

✳ Fresh cherries or cranberries

✳ Ribbon(s)

✳ Star anise

✳ Amaretti biscuits

1 Put cake on a board and spread top and sides thinly with apricot jam. Sift icing sugar on to work surface and roll out marzipan so it’s big enough to cover cake. Lay on to cake and smooth with hands; trim excess. Air dry overnight. 2 Lightly dust work surface and roll out sugarpaste as before. Brush marzipan layer lightly with cooled boiled water, then lay over sugarpaste. Smooth into position; trim excess. Air dry overnight. 3 To make marzipan pine cones, divide marzipan into 3. Working with 1 piece at a time, shape into a tall cone. Starting at the bottom, stick in pointed ends of flaked almonds until the marzipan is covered. Repeat with remaining marzipan and almonds. Lightly dust pine cones with icing sugar and set aside. 4 To crystallise decorations, whisk egg white until frothy. One sprig at a time, lightly brush rosemary with egg white, then coat with caster sugar, shaking off excess. Lay on to a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Repeat with remaining rosemary, cinnamon sticks and cherries or cranberries. Leave to dry for at least 3hr. 5 Tie ribbon(s) around base of cake. Arrange rosemary on top of cake with other crystallised elements, star anise, marzipan pine cones and amaretti. Get ahead Cover cake with marzipan and sugarpaste up to 1 week ahead. Make pine cones and crystallise decorations up to 2 days ahead. Store uncovered.