Elitetwig's First Time Guide to Ice a Christmas Cake.

Yes, it was my first in icing and decorating a Christmas Cake, I am that proud I wish to share it.

• Ready In: 72 hrs
• Serves: 1
• Yields: 1 icing decoration

Ingredients

• 500  g marzipan
• 1  kg  royal icing (ready to roll)
• 25  g  apricot jam
• 50  g icing sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  yellow food coloring

Directions

1. If you have thawed your Christmas Cake please de-thaw prior to using this guide. If you have your Christmas Cake ready -- Let's go.
2. Warm Apricot Jam through until it sightly bubbles. Either on the hob or in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Set this aside.
3. Dust surface with a little icing sugar.
4. Roll out marzipan, dusting now and then, to desired size enough to cover cake top and sides.
5. Brush Cake with Apricot Jam, this ensures marzipan will stick.
6. Lift onto rolling pin and smooth out over cake, so it sticks to cake.
7. Trim excess.
8. Wrap Cake in clingfilm and leave for marzipan to harden for 2 days. Please store in a dry cool place.
9. 2 DAYS LATER.
10. Remove clingfilm, and brush marzipan surface with water.
11. Prepare royal icing as described in steps 3, 4 and 6, 7.
12. With excess icing roll into a ball and create a whole in the centre add drop of yellow food colouring and work the icing, dusting with icing sugar to prevent sticking.
13. Once the icing has a consistent light yellow colour, roll out icing to a 1/2 cm thickness all over.
14. Take a star shape cookie cutter (or any other shape you prefer) and cut as many stars as you can, re roll icing if more stars needed.
15. Brush the back of the stars with water (not too much just enough to stick) and arrange on cake.
16. At edges press stars down and trim any excess such as points that go over the edge.
17. Once all stars have been placed, leave cake for 24hours so icing can harden.
18. Dada! On professionally looking Christmas Cake! Well Done!