Marzipan Fruit Decorated Cake

Marzipan fruit is synonymous with Christmas, but have you ever used it to decorate your bakes with before? It looks beautiful, and they fruits taste far more delicious than fondant! 

Marzipan Fruit Decorated Cake

• 20cm round Christmas cake
• 250g white marzipan
• 250g white sugar paste
• 23cm round gold cake board

• Apricot glaze/jam
• Icing sugar for dusting
• Vodka or boiled water
• Orange paste food colouring
• 3 cloves
• Orange ribbon
• Clingfilm
• Nutmeg grater
• Large non-stick rolling pin

1. Place the cake on the gold board and brush the top of the cake only with boiled apricot glaze/jam.
2. Using the tin the cake was cooked in as a template, draw around the tin and cut out a circle of parchment paper.
3. Knead the marzipan slightly before rolling out. Lightly dust work surface with icing sugar and roll out marzipan to approx 0.5cm thickness. Cut out a circle of marzipan using the template with a pizza cutter if you have one or knife and place on top of the cake. Smooth the top and side edge with your hand. Keep the remaining marzipan for making the marzipan orange fruits.
4. Brush the top of the marzipan with either a small amount of vodka or cooled boiled water.
5. Knead the sugar paste before rolling out. Lightly dust work surface with icing sugar and roll out. Cut a circle using the template and place onto the moistened surface of the marzipan. Smooth edges and top as you did with the marzipan.
6. To make the marzipan oranges, remove a small amount of the paste colour using a cocktail stick to take colouring from the pot and knead into the marzipan. Use a clean cocktail stick each time should you need to add more until you have the desired colour of oranges. Divide the remaining marzipan in to pieces approx walnut size and roll into balls using your hands. Gently roll onto the nutmeg grater to achieve the texture of oranges. Place a clove into the top leaving the star end outwards to resemble an orange stalk.
7. Arrange your marzipan fruit on top of your cake. Wrap the sides of your cake with clingfilm to keep fresh and cover with ribbon, tying a bow at the front.