How To Decorate A Christmas Cake

You lot've broiled and marzipanned… Now information technology's fourth dimension for Christmas Cake Decorating. Here's a few tips and 25 cake ideas to go you started …

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Christmas Cake Decorating – an annual tradition

There is something about Christmas Cake decorating which signals Christmas has begun. It'southward the last slice of the Christmas block jigsaw. But it's also the flake that is probably the almost exciting… The base Christmas Cake is unremarkably made well in accelerate, with enough of time immune for 'feeding' with booze… It'south also been covered in Marzipan (check out my like shooting fish in a barrel Marzipan Recipe)… So, now you tin make the whole thing look creatively pretty…

Some families keep to very specific (and often quite superstitious) rituals to decorate their cake. For them, Christmas Block decorating often includes time-worn block decorations that come out every year. Others modernise or adorn with actress biscuits, sweets, colours and patterns, changing from one block to the adjacent…

There are families that involve, or get out the decorating entirely to the kids… And those for whom the task routinely falls to a specific member of the family unit.

But any the tradition for you, Christmas Cake decorating is special. This will be the pièce de résistance that takes pride of identify on the Christmas table.

Christmas Cake decorating… To ice or not to ice?

The traditionally 'white'-iced Christmas Cake is actually a very English affair. It seems the Welsh and Irish may also sometimes water ice their fruit cakes… But in Scotland, information technology is less common. The Scottish tend to bake a like, but lighter fruit cake (the Dundee Cake), that is stored and served 'naked', frequently adorned with a uncomplicated decoration of fruit and nuts. Dundee Cakes also tend to exist enjoyed at other times of the year likewise.

I accept already written near the History of the traditional fruit Christmas Cake in some other post. Then, I won't repeat myself here… Other than to remind the states that Christmas Cake decorating simply really began in the early on nineteen^th Century. These days, whether to utilize icing and/or marzipan seems to be a largely personal choice.

United nations-iced, the very rich and seriously fruit-packed English-mode cakes appear to last a little longer than the Scottish Dundee Cake. I guess this is considering of the college fruit content… Just both traditionally add booze which will act as a natural preservative.

Only adding a layer of marzipan and icing volition additionally help to preserve the cake for longer. For best shelf-life, the coverings need to create and closed seal at the base of the block (where it meets the lath).

Royal Icing or Fondant Icing?

The choice of icing used when Christmas Cake decorating besides comes down to personal choice.

Purple Icing

Traditionally, the harder-setting, glossy Royal Icing has been used to encase the cake. For me however, Imperial Icing is mode also sugariness and also difficult. Although fabulous for cake preservation, it is ordinarily slathered on thick. And eating it tin quickly backbite from the natural flavours and textures of the fruit cake it surrounds.

Having said that, it does look mighty pretty when used well. Information technology can be spread and ruffled into wintery spikes and swirls, and is also wonderful for piping decorations to perfection. And… It is too really easy to make. I have a simple recipe from a very old cook book that I have used for sticking and decorating my Gingerbread Houses in the past. (You will need to triple the ingredients to embrace a whole cake). Or you could utilise an alternative similar the BBC Expert Nutrient recipe which also adds a niggling lemon juice and liquid glucose.

Fondant Icing

The alternative icing for Christmas Cake decorating is softer, mouldable Fondant Icing. It can exist fabricated quite easily at dwelling house. However, it is and then freely available in blocks of diverse colours in supermarkets (and at Christmas equally a large piece that is prepare-rolled), that most people take the convenience route. If you are not sure how much fondant y'all need, Charlotte's Lively Kitchen has a handy sizing guide that may aid. For a deep 8 inch fruit block, I used ane pack of set-rolled fondant.

Fondant icing is perfect for giving a quick and easy smoothen and unproblematic covering to both Christmas and other cakes. Although it tin can be used without an under-layer of marzipan, it does seem to have a smoother finish for fruit cakes in particular, when not applied directly to the cake surface.

Ane of the best things about fondant icing is that colours tin can be combined and assorted together for eye-catching detail. But information technology can also exist used equally an edible modelling textile to create unique decorations too.

Sticking fondant Icing to the marzipan

Fondant icing has quite a dry surface and consequently needs a fiddling help to stick information technology to the marzipan cake-covering. When ready to drape the icing over, lightly brush the block all over with clear-coloured alcohol (such as vodka or obviously gin… But water should do fine besides). This will ensure the icing melds well to the surface, allowing y'all to shape it close and smooth.

Inspiration for Christmas Cake Decorating

I don't count myself as very creative when information technology comes to decorating. Certain, I tin bake a mean cake… but give me a piping bag or a palette pocketknife and I struggle.

So, when it comes to block decorating (Christmas or otherwise) I mostly keep things relatively simple. And for inspiration, I often turn to swain bloggers and the internet. Blazon 'Christmas block ideas' into the search bar of Pinterest and an astonishing collection of beautiful creations will announced. There's cake decorated with everything from gingerbread figures and houses… to piped holly-wreaths, candy canes, fondant snowmen and snowflakes… At that place'southward even elaborately constructed sleigh runs and forests constructed of real leaf and pino cones.

How yous choose to decorate the Christmas block will likely depend on everything from way and skill to the time bachelor…

A simple Star Block

My 2020 Christmas Block was decorated very, very modestly. To be honest, annihilation more felt like too much effort… But really, I quite like the simplicity and symbolism of the glittery stars.

Made with re-rolled leftover icing after the cake had been covered, food glitter was lightly pressed into the rolled surface… The stars were then cutting with a pocket-size star cutter, before dampening the dorsum of each with a petty vodka and sticking to the cake. A large cerise ribbon was used to give the cake a little seasonal colour and style…. And finally, a few gluten-safe shiny pearls were pressed into the surface, earlier a concluding sprinkling of edible glitter.

Blue star and spots theme

2021… and the Gluten Gratuitous Alchemist Gluten Free Christmas Cake came with a super-easy Blue star and spots theme. It uses a standard base of operations of homemade marzipan topped with set up-rolled fondant icing. This is then topped with three cut out fondant icing stars (with a smaller star cut from the centre), which take been dampened underneath and stuck to the base icing.

Sprinkles were blue and silver/metallic grey and were used to fill the stars, as well equally to edge and 'dot' the residue of the cake. Sprinkles were stuck on with a very tiny amount of edible mucilage (brushed on to the cake with a small-tipped kitchen-use paint brush).

If looking for a wonderful supplier of gluten gratis (and also vegan) sprinkles, I recommend Blistering Fourth dimension Club (which came upwardly trumps in my search).

Modernistic red and green Present cakes

Merely as the cake doesn't have to be round… neither does the icing have to be white! A few years back, I went all out modern with the Christmas Cake decorating and created 4 pocket-size blood-red and light-green 'present' cakes. The cake was actually a pimped packet fruit cake mix… But I fabricated it in a square can and cut into quarters before individual ornament was added. Information technology was perfect for sharing with our older parents as part of a Christmas food hamper… and in perfect portions too.

red-green-present-cakes — **Cherry-Green Nowadays Cakes – Gluten Gratis Alchemist**

More inspiration for Christmas Cake decorating…

Ultimately, the Christmas fruit cake is a blank canvas however… and Christmas Cake decorating is whatever y'all desire it to be… So here's a few more ideas from my blogging friends and from beyond the web to inspire.

Done your Christmas Block Decorating?

I'd beloved to see your Christmas Cake decorating designs too… So if you accept a beautiful creation to share, recollect to tag me on Social Media (links at the top of the page).

And if yous have found this mail interesting or helpful, don't forget to leave a annotate below.

For lots of other gluten free eating inspiration, we too take a wonderful Gluten Free Recipe Book Index… And then, why not head over and accept a browse?

Uncomplicated Star Cake – Icing Instructions

A elementary Christmas Cake decorated with glittery icing stars.

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 20 mins

Total Fourth dimension xx mins

Course: Block, Christmas

Cuisine: British

Keyword: cake decorating, fondant icing

Servings: 20

Calories per serving: 95.8 kcal

Block scraper
precipitous knife
pastry brush
small cup
small star cutter

450 grand white fondant icing fix rolled equally preferred
1 tbsp clear alcohol (vodka/gin) or h2o approx
edible glitter
cake decorating pearls gluten free
wide red ribbon to fit the circumference of the cake with a picayune to cross over

Either unroll the pack of ready-rolled icing or curl the fondant icing to a size large enough to comprehend the whole cake, with a little to spare. It is easiest to roll using a sprinkle of icing saccharide to prevent sticking.
Using a pastry brush, give the whole surface of the cake a lite roofing of (preferably) booze or water. The cake is likely to accept been covered in marzipan, so brush the liquid onto the marzipan surface.
Using the rolling pin for support, carefully elevator the rolled fondant icing centrally over the block.
Advisedly smooth JUST the acme apartment surface using your hand, earlier carefully smoothing the sides, working circular.
Use a cake scraper to shine any wrinkles and kinks.
Carefully cut circular the base of the block, flush with the cake board to tidy.
Knead the icing cut-offs into a block then separate into two.
Re-curlicue each piece of icing separately to almost 2mm thick.
Sprinkle glitter (different colours for each piece) over the rolled icing.
Lightly gyre the glitter in… trying non to press likewise hard (and wiping the glitter from the rolling pin between each colour).
Employ a star cutter to cut icing stars
Decide where to identify the stars on the cake (lay out as helpful).
Gently dampen each star on the back, one by one with a little alcohol/water and stick to the fondant surface.
Add a few decoration pearls as you lot wish.
Take the ribbon and carefully wrap round the base of the cake (it may help to dampen either the ribbon or the base of the cake surface where the ribbon volition sit, to help information technology stay smoothly in place).
Use a couple of dress-maker pins (make sure they are done and dried) to pin the ribbon in place (remembering to remove before cutting and eating).

* Note: nutritional information is an gauge & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.

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© 2019-2022 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or whatever part of this recipe on whatsoever other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist

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