Silent Night Cake
Our Wintry decoration can be adapted to make the scene of your dreams.
Hands-on time 1½hr, plus drying. Serves 16
◆ 2tbsp apricot jam
◆ 20.5cm (8in) round Christmas fruit cake
◆ Icing sugar, to dust and make glacé icing
◆ 500g (1lb 2oz) natural marzipan
◆ 3 x 250g packs navy blue fondant/ sugarpaste icing, we used Renshaw Navy Blue
◆ 2tsp brandy/gin/vodka, or use freshly boiled and cooled water
◆ 50g (2oz) white fondant/sugarpaste icing
◆ 10g (¼oz) yellow fondant/sugarpaste icing
YOU WILL ALSO NEED
◆ Scissors
◆ A small paintbrush
◆ Edible silver lustre or edible glitter spray (see GH Tips)
◆ Ribbon (s) for base of cake
◆ Piping bag and small plain nozzle (size 2 or 3)
1 The day before you want to assemble the cake decoration, in a small pan gently warm jam to loosen. Pass through a sieve into a small bowl. Put cake on a board and brush top and sides with sieved jam. Set aside.
2 Lightly dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll out marzipan until large enough to cover cake (see GH Tips). Lift on to cake and with your hands, gently smooth into position. Trim excess. Leave overnight at room temperature for the marzipan to harden slightly.
3 When the marzipan has hardened, lightly dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll out 500g (1lb 2oz) of blue fondant/sugarpaste until large enough to cover cake (see GH Tips). Brush the marzipan with brandy/gin/vodka or cooled, boiled water to moisten. Cover cake with the rolled blue icing, smoothing all over with your hands as before. Trim excess. Transfer to a cake stand or plate. If you have time, allow the blue icing to harden overnight at room temperature. If you don’t have time, carry straight on.
4 To make the houses and church, line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Use about 100g (3½oz) of the blue icing to make 3D shapes in varying sizes for the church and steeple, 2 houses, porches and chimneys. To get clean sharp lines, use a knife to trim the edges. Arrange on the lined baking sheet, spacing apart.
5 Next, pinch off and reserve a tiny amount of the white icing (to use for roofs for the porches). With the remaining white icing, shape the roofs for the houses, church and steeple – measuring them to fit (but not sticking them on to) the blue building shapes. Set aside on the prepared baking sheet. If you like, mark the roofs with a piping nozzle or knife to resemble tiles.
6 Lightly dust a small section of a work surface with icing sugar and roll out the reserved white icing. Cut out 4 small rectangles to make the roof panels for the porches. Set aside on the baking sheet.
7 Re-dust the work surface with icing sugar and thinly roll out the yellow icing. With a sharp, small knife, cut out shapes for the windows and doors of the buildings. Carefully lift on to the baking sheet.
8 To make the trees, shape the remaining 150g (5oz) blue icing into cones about 5cm (2in) tall. Working one at a time, and starting at the top, snip into a tree shape with scissors, making cuts all over to resemble the foliage. Repeat with remaining cones. Place on baking sheet. If you have time, allow all the items on the baking sheet to dry at room temperature overnight – if not, carry on with next step.
9 With a small paintbrush, use a scant brushing of water to stick the buildings together. If you like, dust/spray the roofs and trees with icing sugar/lustre/edible glitter to make them sparkle.
10 Next, stick the buildings and trees to the cake surface with a little water. Sprinkle/spray lustre over the surface of the cake to give it a glow. Secure your chosen ribbon (s) around base of cake.
11 To make glacé icing, sift a few tablespoons of icing sugar into a small bowl. Mix in just enough water to make a thick but pipeable icing. Scrape into a small piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle (size 2 or 3 is ideal). Pipe your festive message on the cake. Allow to dry before serving. We also piped some snow on to our chimneys for added effect!
TO STORE
The decorated cake will last well for up to a month in an airtight container.