*Simple* Christmas cake decorating ideas please.

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Whitefiver
Whitefiver Posts: 688 Forumite
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in Special occasions & other celebrations
Hi,

For the past few years we have had an annual Christmas Cake competition at work. I have always done reasonably well, but I don't do conventional icing (although I do like marzipan).

My cake is in the oven - you may see reports of an unidentified cloud of rum vapour drifting slowly over parts of Staffordshire - so please does anyone have any ideas for simple decorating schemes that even I might attempt?

The past two years I have a)topped the cake with marzipan, and gently singed it with a blowlamp and b)topped the cake with almonds in a light honey toffee.

All ideas gratefully received.

Thanks in advance,

Regards,

White

(PS My ideal Christmas cake needs a spoon, or even better, a straw!)
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  • helenstuff
    helenstuff Posts: 140 Forumite
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    One thing that's really simple and effective is to use some greenery from your garden to make it a "wreath" - ie, that sits in a circle around the top. I've done this before using holly, eucalyptus or even bay leaves. You can also dip the edges in egg white and then dust with caster sugar for that freshly 'snowed' on look. Use cranberries or redcurrants to brighten it up - cranberries will last longer. Also looks nice with a (well proportioned!) pillar candle or two in the centre.

    If you'd like a simple design using marzipan, why not mix some with some food dye (3 or 4 different colours), mould it into cubes and (leave it to dry for a while first and then) tie with ribbon for a pile of Christmas 'parcels' on top.

    Good luck with the competition! :)

    ps ref. drinking your cake.... this year I've been 'feeding' mine brandy using a syringe and I think it will turn out to be the moistest I've ever made! ;)
  • Whitefiver
    Whitefiver Posts: 688 Forumite
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    Many thanks helenstuff - sounds easy enough, my only concern that some of the [strike]numpties[/strike], sorry, colleagues at work might try to eat the stuff!

    I also like the look of Jane Asher's last minute Christmas Cake decoration - but it is similar to those I have done before.

    Regards,

    White

    (PS the fumes must have got to me - sorry I posted in the wrong group!)
  • freebie_junkie
    freebie_junkie Posts: 4,019 Forumite
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    home bargains have soem lovely little supercook sugar shapes of snowmne, father christmas and holly wreaths in packs of 12 for 25p and theyre in date until 2009! :)
    :T The best things in life are FREE! :T
  • Lillibet_2
    Lillibet_2 Posts: 3,364 Forumite
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    when I was at school I won the Home Ec class Christmas cake competition 3 years in a row:D:o My favoutie decoration was also the easiest.

    Sugar bells.

    Get a bell mould, you can buy these in cake shops but I used a Christmas tree decoration (just make sure it has a good "interior" bell shape with no holes or clapers etc inside!). If you want hollow bells you need 2, one smaller than the other but you can make solid ones which IMHO are just as effective.. Grease the inside of your (bigger) bell mould with something like fry light oil, & also the outside of the smaller mould if going for hollow bells. Mix lots of sugar with one egg white to form a very sugary paste. For a solid sugar bell pack the sugar very very tightly into the greased mould & finish by scraping off the bottom with a knife for a clean finish, for a hollow one pack it tightly around the insdie of the shape (use your finger to ensure there are no "holes" in it) then push your smaller gresed mould inside it so that it foms a shell on each side of the sugar mix. Leave to dry for 3-4 days somewhere dry & not too hot or too cold. When ready they should fall out of the moulds fairly easily. Make as many as you need & arrange on a cake (on marzipan looks very effective) with some red/green ribbion curled throguh/around them.

    It sounds a lot more complicated than it is;)

    HTH:D
    Post Natal Depression is the worst part of giving birth:p

    In England we have Mothering Sunday & Father Christmas, Mothers day & Santa Clause are American merchandising tricks:mad: Demonstrate pride in your heirtage by getting it right please people!
  • full-time-mum
    full-time-mum Posts: 1,962 Forumite
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    How about something like this Star Cake?

    Xmascake.jpg

    Its one I haven't got around to trying out yet but it looks fairly easy and impressive.

    - Marzipan the cake and allow to dry (they recommend white mazipan)
    - Knead 450g/1lb fondant icing until pliable
    - Knead in 5ml/1tsp gum tragacanth to help fondan garden
    - Roll icing to 3mm/1/4" thick
    Cut out 40 stars and transfer to baking sheet lined with non-=stick baking parchment
    - Brush stars sparingly with a sugar and water solution and press edible gold leaf onto their surface or decorate tips of the stars with gold and silver balls. (you can also get gold glitter food colouring which can be brushed on instead)
    - Leave on baking sheet to dry in a warm place for at least 24 hours.
    - Ice cake with fondant icing and leave to dry for 24 hours
    - Push (the now hard) fondant stars into the icing at angles and tie ribbon around.
    7 Angel Bears for LovingHands Autumn Challenge. 10 KYSTGYSES. 3 and 3/4 (ran out of wool) small blanket/large square, 2 premie blankets, 2 Angel Claire Bodywarmers
  • Whitefiver
    Whitefiver Posts: 688 Forumite
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    Wow - Full-Time-Mum, that looks stunning. Not too sure I should mix naked lights with my cake - given the volume of Rum that has gone into it though.

    I think I am going to go with the Jane Asher version (see above) for this year, but I'll keep this one in mind for next year.

    Many thanks,

    White.
  • kethry
    kethry Posts: 1,044 Forumite
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    from what i can see, Jane Asher's recipe is similar to what i did - there's a photo of it here, if you want to see. i just used a selection of dried/glaced fruits - apricots, prunes, glace cherries - and nuts - hazlenuts, brazils, walnuts, almonds and pecan nuts - all piled up higgledy piggeldy on the cake. The cake was glazed first with apricot jam and brandy that had been boiled up together, topped with the fruit, then the fruit "painted" with the same glaze and left to settle down a bit.

    the other idea i've seen is to roll out some ready to roll icing, really ragged. put the cake in the middle, and gather the icing up and around it, and "tie" it off with a length of rich looking cord, preferably with nice tassles on the end! where the edges have been gathered in the middle, fold them back out so you can see the cake, then fill the hole in the middle with anything you like, you could do dried fruits as above, or you could fill it with christmas baubles, or small foil wrapped "presents".

    I tried to find a pic of that (it was a pic in one of my christmas books) on the net, unfortunately to no avail... hope my instructions give you some ideas though!

    keth
    xx
  • full-time-mum
    full-time-mum Posts: 1,962 Forumite
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    Whitefiver wrote:
    Wow - Full-Time-Mum, that looks stunning. Not too sure I should mix naked lights with my cake - given the volume of Rum that has gone into it though.
    :rotfl: Just as it should be....
    Whitefiver wrote:
    I think I am going to go with the Jane Asher version (see above) for this year, but I'll keep this one in mind for next year.

    A friend made me one that was similarly decorated several years ago. It looked really impressive. It was round and she had obviously spent some time choosing what to put on and arranging them - I think you'll be pleased with the result. You can get some colour in by choosing a selection of ready to eat fruits too, if you wish.
    7 Angel Bears for LovingHands Autumn Challenge. 10 KYSTGYSES. 3 and 3/4 (ran out of wool) small blanket/large square, 2 premie blankets, 2 Angel Claire Bodywarmers
  • Whitefiver
    Whitefiver Posts: 688 Forumite
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    kethry wrote:
    from what i can see, Jane Asher's recipe is similar to what i did - there's a photo of it here, if you want to see. i just used a selection of dried/glaced fruits - apricots, prunes, glace cherries - and nuts - hazlenuts, brazils, walnuts, almonds and pecan nuts - all piled up higgledy piggeldy on the cake.

    ~~~snip~~~

    ... hope my instructions give you some ideas though!

    Hi Keth, I can only hope my cake looks half as good a yours. Many thanks for your ideas - loooks like I'm set for a couple of years now.

    BTW - I bought the glace fruits from the nut stall in Meadowhall yesterday. I was surprised how expensive they were - but they did look nice. Hope my colleagues appreciate it!

    Regards and many thanks,

    White
  • rockhopper_3
    rockhopper_3 Posts: 41 Forumite
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    One I spotted in a magazine, sorry can't remember which one:
    Ice cake with marzipan then icing (though would be just as good with yellow marzipan then white, and I think would look nice if you just did the top), then gently cut out a few stars of different sizes on the top - but cutting only through the first layer, to allow the colour of the second layer to show through. Then fill some of them with those tiny sugar balls you can get...
    Good luck
    Rocky
    He who binds himself to a joy
    Does the winged life destroy.
    But he who kisses the joy as it flies
    Lives in eternity's sunrise :j
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