Early Christmas cake - 3rd December

Another order - I was asked to make a Christmas cake which was going to be gifted. I used the last minute Christmas cake recipe from Delia Smith's cake cookbook. This recipe combines fruit mincemeat with mixed fruit and nuts. I soaked the fruit mixture in cold tea before making the cake. After baking I left the cake wrapped in baking paper and foil for a couple of weeks. I then brushed the cake with apricot jam and covered with a layer of marzipan. I put the cake on a cakeboard. I left the cake to settle for a couple of days and then brushed the cake with boiled water and added a layer of fondant icing. I used a rope mould to decorate the top and bottom of the cake along with gold ribbon before finally adding a sugar paste nativity plaque, stars and a Merry Christmas message.

I was really pleased with the finished result and my customer and the recipients were too.