From traditional Christmas cake ideas to quirky fondant figures, our easy Christmas cake decorations, recipes, and designs are sure to inspire.
Once you've made your favourite Christmas cake recipe, it's time to get decorating. There are plenty of easy cake decorating ideas (opens in new tab) to try at home and we've rounded up the best Christmas cake designs from snowmen to Christmas trees, from penguins to Frozen's Olaf.
"Decorating a Christmas cake is a lovely family tradition to start and you can have a lot of fun. Whether you choose to top the cake with iced gingerbread or to make decorations from fondant icing, the options are endless," says Senior Food Writer Jessica Ransom. "One of my favourite techniques is to use a cookie cutter to remove a portion of the icing. You then fill this with colourful sprinkles. It makes a little mess when cutting the cake but it's very simple and attractive on the eye."
The majority of these designs were created in Goodto's Test Kitchen by a range of qualified food experts. This includes an impressive Swan cake made by Deputy Food Editor, Rose Fooks. Rose has a Diplome de Patisserie and Culinary Management so certainly knows a thing or two about impressive bakes. There is also a showstopping polar bear cake made by Bake Off The Professionals contestant Keiron George, and a simple festive chocolate cake from Bake Off winner Frances Quinn.
Christmas cake ideas and decorations
A classic cake from a classic cake maker
1. Mary Berry’s Christmas Cake
Serves: 12-15 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 4 hr 30 min
What Mary Berry doesn’t know about making a Christmas cake isn’t worth knowing. Ideally, make this sherry-infused classic at least 3 weeks in advance for the best taste – if a fruit cake is too fresh, it crumbles, so this forward planning will make for a more moist bake and give time for the flavours to infuse. Mary tops her cake with royal icing and festive decorations, which you can freestyle on according to who your cake is appealing to.
Top tip: “This is a perfect Christmas cake for a beginner as it doesn’t require a stand mixer or anything fancy. The only thing this recipe needs is time as you need to feed the cake sherry,” says expert baker Naomi Boles from Boles Bakery (opens in new tab).
Get the recipe: Mary Berry's Christmas cake recipe (opens in new tab)
A cake that saves on time and ingredients but not on taste
2. Easy Christmas cake recipe
Serves: 14-21 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 3 hr 15 min
An excellent choice if you’re time poor, it doesn’t compromise on taste, but saves the faff of all that soaking of ingredients, thanks to the cheat’s hack of adding a jar of mincemeat into the mix. The rule is still that the cake should be made as far ahead of time as possible, before you cover it with marzipan and icing. Tie a festive ribbon around it, pop on some festive decs, and it’s good to go. Pop the kettle on, will you?
Top tip: “This a great recipe for beginner’s and adding mincemeat gives it a twist from the traditional Christmas cake and cuts down some of the soaking time,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Easy Christmas cake recipe (opens in new tab)
An epic bake for an epic season
3. Gingerbread cake with brandy buttercream
Serves: 10-14 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 1 hr 30 min
An excellent choice for those not particularly partial to a fruit cake (and there are many that walk among us), gingerbread and brandy are still marvellously festive flavours. Top with festive fruits such as cranberries, dried apricots, glace cherries and orange peel, or add nuts – chopped hazelnuts are a winner here. It could also be cutely accessorised by some mini gingerbread people. A delight.
Top tip: “This is a showstopping cake that still has Christmas-y flavours without the long wait of traditional Christmas cake. To make it easier to stack the cake layers, wrap them in cling film or foil and chill for 30 minutes first,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Gingerbread cake with brandy buttercream (opens in new tab)
Adorable Santa, making fruit cake appealing to kids of all ages
4. Jolly Santa Christmas cake
Serves: 14-21 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 1 hr
Using one of our fruitcake recipes, such as Easy Christmas cake (opens in new tab), this jolly, smiling Santa face is an excellent topping choice if a) you want your bake to appeal to young kids and b) you’re partial to a spot of fondant work. And even if you aren’t, let us hold your hand through it with this easy step-by-step picture recipe using ready-to-roll fondant.
Top tip: “This cake is really on trend at the moment, with cartoon style cakes being featured in lots of bakeries. A tip for working with fondant is to knead it until it is really pliable, this will make it much easier to use,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Santa cake (opens in new tab)
Marble effect icing is easier than it looks – which is ever so fancy
5. Christmas present cake
Serves: 20 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 5 hours
Filled with pistachio, clementine, plenty of nuts and a dash of rum, this quirky Christmas present cake is a tasty twist on a traditional fruit cake recipe. The marble effect on the fondant is pretty easy to achieve and making your own marzipan, with the unusual addition of our favourite nut, the pistachio, is definitely worth the time and effort. You will need a bit of time on your hands though, so save it for a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Top tip: “This is a great cake for an amateur to fondant. The simple shape and marble effect make it a good first project,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Christmas present cake (opens in new tab)
Adorable polar bear atop adorable cake – a definite talking point
6. Polar bear Christmas cake
Serves: 18 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 5 hr 30 min
The adorable polar bear Christmas cake is a serious show-stopper. Those shards of ice sure look tricky to master, but they’re actually made from melted Fox’s Glacier Mints. Who knew? You’ll also be in need of some blue food colouring, and to either get your hands on a polar bear (not a literal one, they wouldn’t quite fit on top of a cake), or to fashion one yourself from fondant, if that sort of thing is in your baking skill set. A definite talking point.
Top tip: “This is a fun cake to decorate with kids over the Christmas holidays as the icing shouldn’t look perfectly smooth,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Polar bear cake (opens in new tab)
7. Three trees Christmas cake
Serves: 14-21 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 20 mins
Using either sugar paste or coloured marzipan (we’d go marzipan for flavour), these cute trees on top of the royal icing on a Christmas cake (opens in new tab) are super effective, and can be decorated with little stars and baubles. Use a Christmas tree cookie cutter, or just draw a design on a piece of card and cut around it. A design that will appeal to kids and grown ups in equal measure.
Top tip: “This cake is ideal for someone who has used fondant once or twice before to get a nice smooth surface for the trees to sit on. Let the kids decorate a tree each to make the cake really personal,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Christmas tree cake (opens in new tab)
Meringue feathers and a gingerbread head, how terribly posh and impressive
8. Swan Christmas cake
Serves: 24 | Skill level: Difficult | Total time: 5 hr 10 mins
Isn’t this quite something? Worthy of a Bake Off showstopper, this swan is a proper talking point. A light sponge made with stem ginger and pecans and a rum buttercream, the feathers are made from meringue and the swan’s classically elegant neck and head is fashioned from gingerbread. One for confident bakers only, we feel.
Top tip: “This is a showstopper cake that would be best for a more experienced baker and decorator with some time due to the cake, two icings, meringue and gingerbread components,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Swan cake (opens in new tab)
Classic, chic, and not too tricky
9. Snowflake Christmas cake
Serves: 14-21 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 20 mins
This simple snowflake design is great for Christmas cake beginners. Using white sugar paste and silver dragées (or sugar pearls to you and me), you’ll need to get your hands on some snowflake cookie cutters to perfect this simple, chic, crowd-pleasing topper, which could be used on a sponge of any flavour, if fruit cake isn’t your bag.
Top tip: “The use of stencils and sprinkles can make this simple cake look great with little effort. A tip for using fondant is to sprinkle cornflour or icing sugar on the surface, rolling pin and your hands before working with the fondant,” says Naomi Boles
Get the recipe: Snowflake Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
10. Chocolate cake with tiramisu cream
Serves: 10-12 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 30 mins
We don’t always associate chocolate cake with Christmas (though frankly, we think chocolate cake should be associated with all things), but this one feels more festive than most with the addition of amaretto or brandy, in the sponge and the coffee and mascarpone filling. It’s also gluten free, and an excellent choice if you shy away from fancy decor – with a simple icing sugar dusted star atop.
Top tip: “A naked cake is a good choice for a beginner. To make it look a bit neater, try piping the filling in the middle rather than spreading it,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the the recipe: Chocolate cake with tiramisu cream (opens in new tab)
An alternative Christmas pud that the kids will be mad for
11. Malteser Christmas Pudding Cake
Serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 1 hr 5 min
For all those Christmas cake and Christmas pud non-believers out there, this is a brilliant alternative, fashioned on the look of a traditional pudding. It’s booze free, so you can give the brandy a rest, and the kids will be thrilled, plus it’s easy and quick, so ideal if you haven’t planned far enough ahead for the more trad bakes. Covered in Maltesers, drizzled with melted white choc and sprinkled with red edible glitter, it’s a great one to serve after Christmas dinner with or without a drizzle of cream.
Top tip: “This is a really fun cake that comes together in one bowl and is very easy to decorate, a perfect cake to bake with little ones,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Maltesers Christmas pudding cake (opens in new tab)
The sweetest reindeers – M&Ms nose for Rudolph essential, of course
12. Rudolph cake
Serves: 15 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 20 min
Super cute, and appealing to kids, this topper works well with a classic fruit cake (you could even buy one if you haven’t the time to make). You’ll need coloured fondant and some reindeer cookie cutters, and, essentially, some Smarties or M&Ms to give them their noses – one of which should, naturally, be a Rudolph red.
Top tip: “A fun and simple way to decorate a Christmas cake. To make it even easier for beginners, purchase the marzipan and fondant ready rolled,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Rudolph Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
A very appealing red velvet and peppermint cake topped with candy canes
13. Red velvet peppermint cake
Serves: 10 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 35 mins
A break with tradition, and a welcome change from the more formal royal icing, this bake is topped with a rougher, snow scene effect, thanks to ready-made cream cheese frosting, mixed with a few drops of peppermint essence. Candy canes are one of the most simple and effective decorations, and fondant snowmen are another great way to appeal to the kiddies. Not that they need any persuasion, because who doesn’t love a good festively-hued red velvet cake?
Top tip: “This is a great cake that breaks away from the traditional, and perfect for those short on time,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Red velvet Peppermint cake (opens in new tab)
One for those who are a dab hand at fondant work
14. Igloo Christmas cake
Serves: 12-15 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 4 hr
Seriously adorable, this igloo bake is a wonderful choice if you’re nifty with the old fondant. Using a classic Christmas cake (opens in new tab) baked in a Pyrex bowl or shaped cake tin to create the igloo shape, get to work with the sugar paste to create the snow bricks and the super cute penguins. Displaying it on a raised cake stand, decorated with white felt, cut to give an icicle effect, then sit back and enjoy those compliments.
Top tip: “This cake is great for someone with fondant experience. It is a little fiddly in parts, but the igloo cake looks very impressive,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Igloo Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
No forward planning needed – these can be made the night before
15. Mini Christmas cakes
Serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 45 mins
Far lighter than a trad festive fruit cake, these bite-sized minis can be made close to the big day and served as part of your Boxing Day buffet, or as dessert canapes, or just with a nice cup of tea and a sit down. Top with icing and a glace cherry, a pecan, or some dried fruit, like apricots.
Top tip: “These mini Christmas cakes are ideal for individual puddings on Christmas day and they don’t require any soaking or feeding so can be made the night before,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Mini Christmas cakes (opens in new tab)
Swap out some of the sweets for festive treats, should that take your fancy
16. Pick and mix chocolate and sweet cake
Serves: 8 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 1 hr 5 min
Give these brilliant chocolate cake topper ideas a Christmas makeover – add anything from choc orange segments to broken up Matchmakers, or make it more adult, with chopped Brazil nuts or chopped After Eight or Elizabeth Shaw mints. There are no rules, just whatever is your festive fancy.
Top tip: “This is a super cake for those with an especially sweet tooth. Swap out the sweets and chocolate for more festive treats like Terry’s Chocolate Orange or Quality Streets,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Pick and mix chocolate and sweet cake (opens in new tab)
Royal icing pleats and posh gold candles make this cake a classy affair
17. Modern Christmas cake
Serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 1 hr
Ooh lala, doesn’t this look terribly classy and impressive? The pleats are all individual triangles of royal Icing that you layer around your Christmas fruit cake. Going for gold with the candles and ribbon is tres chic, though they could be switched for silver, and you could add pops of colour using holly instead of ivy, or even a few sprigs of mistletoe.
Top tip: “This cake looks beautiful but is not as tricky as it looks. To keep the uniformity of the cake, use a template for each rectangle,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Modern Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
18. Red velvet Christmas cake
Serves: 12-15 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 2 hr
This delicious twist on Christmas cake is gluten free and adds some non-trad elements, such as beetroot in the mix, giving the cake a brighter hue, and helping avoid a dry bake. The cranberries, port and almonds bring classic festive flavours, and it’s all topped with royal icing, thought you could swap this for a rougher cream cheese frosting, if that’s more to your taste.
Top tip: “While not a traditional cake, this twist on a red velvet cake makes it seasonal with mixed spice and dried fruits added. It’s also very easy to decorate with royal icing to look like a snowy landscape,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Red velvet Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
One for the very small people in your life
19. Frozen Christmas cake
Serves: 12-15 | Skill level: Difficult | Total time: 2 hr
This recipe uses a ready-made Victoria or madeira sponge because, frankly, you’re going to need all the time to create this showstopper of a decorative topper. You’ll have your hand held throughout though, with a step-by-step guide from the experts and, boy, will it be worth it, because this cake might possibly be the most exciting part of any five year old’s Christmas – and that is saying something. You do need some patience, especially with creating those fondant trees, but it is all absolutely worth it.
Top tip: “This a cake for an experienced cake decorator due to the detail in the fondant presents,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Frozen-inspired Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
A simple one for a nice cup of tea and a sit down
20. Mary Berry’s Victorian Christmas cake
Serves: 12-15 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 2 hr 30 min
Packed with dried fruits, nuts and sultanas and topped with glacé cherries and pineapple, this retro recipe from the Queen of Cakes will see you well into January, when you’ll be needing an essential cup of tea and a sit down. Perfect for those who aren’t fussed about icing (though you can totally add marzipan and royal ice should you wish), just dust with icing sugar and serve. Well, if it was good enough for Queen Victoria…
Top tip: “This cake is for a baker with some time on their hands – while it doesn’t need as long to mature as traditional Christmas cake, it still needs 2-3 weeks,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Mary Berry's fruit cake (opens in new tab)
Almost better than a real gift stocking
21. Stocking filler Christmas cake
Serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 1 hr 30 min
This is beyond adorable, and a triumph if you are both patient and talented with sugar paste. You’ll need an array of food colourings or ready coloured varieties, edible glue and a paintbrush (we can feel a trip to Hobbycraft coming on). You could cheat, by just popping a selection of mini toys at the top of the stocking, or even baubles like toy soldiers, as decor. A delight.
Top tip: “If you have the time to make the sugarpaste toys, then this can be a showstopping cake. However, if you don’t have the time or skills to make the toys, the sugarpaste stocking will still look very festive,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Stocking filler Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
This plant-based cake uses coconut oil in place of butter and eggs
22. Vegan Christmas cakes
Serves: 16 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 6 hr
Using coconut oil in place of butter and eggs, this cake means plant based eaters have no need to miss out on Christmas cake. The design is classic, super sweet and effective too, made into smaller sponges wrapped like individual gifts. A great one to give out as gifts, wrapped in simple cellophane or in a festively decorated box.
Top tip: “A simple design for those who haven’t got a lot of experience with fondant. To help get smooth sides on each present, be sure to use a fondant smoother as well as your hand,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Vegan Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
23. Chocolate tiramisu cake
Serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 65 min
Topped with piped cream swirls, this retro Italian classic is a good alternative for dessert after your festive feast, or serve it after your Christmas eve dinner, on the Boxing Day buffet, or on your New Year’s party spread. Coffee, chocolate, Amaretto, double cream and mascarpone. If there are any better flavour combos out there, we’d love to hear about them.
Top tip: “This is a great cake for a decorating novice as it has a simple piped design and the dusting of cocoa powder helps it to look professional,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Chocolate tiramisu cake (opens in new tab)
A slight twist on a classic, with a focus on festive cranberries
24. Cranberry Christmas cake
Serves: 8-10 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 3 hr
A slight riff on the traditional recipe, this one goes heavier on the sweet-yet-tart cranberry flavour. It needs to be fed with sherry or brandy – a good way to really help that soak in is to prick the cake all over with a skewer after baking. It will stay fresh for around six months, so will see you nicely into the New Year. We recommend serving with cheese – a slice of good quality mature cheddar is just the ticket.
Top tip: “This is a simple cake to make but does require feeding with brandy for up to 12 weeks before serving. But the benefit is that it will last for up to 6 months if stored properly,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Cranberry Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
A good one for your Boxing Day buffet, perhaps
25. White chocolate and raspberry gateau
Serves: 16 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 1 hr
A simple vanilla sponge with a raspberry cream cheese frosting, this is a marvellous dessert at any time of year, never mind Christmas. It’s a good option for dessert after your big feast if Christmas pudding isn’t the one for you, and could be decorated with more frozen berries and cake decorations like trees or snowmen. Sprinkle with icing sugar to mimic a light dusting of snow.
Top tip: “This is a very simple cake to make for beginners and is very easy to decorate too. If raspberries aren’t your ideal fruit, swap for another berry of your choice,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: White chocolate and raspberry gateau (opens in new tab)
A design that takes inspo from the most festive of plants
26. Poinsettia Christmas cake
Serves: 12-15 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 2 hr
Perfect for a fruitcake, this recipe comes with a step-by-step video guide to help master this nifty fondant work featuring designs of the classic Christmas plant. It’s a very timeless design that you’ll be pleased as punch to have mastered, and is perfect for a festive tea party any time over the holidays.
Top tip: “This is a very traditional festive cake, but it is much easier than it looks with the use of cutters and tools in the shape of holly etc. Use a few drops of water to secure your decorations to your cake and ensure they don’t slide off,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Poinsettia Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
A good one for amateur bakers, from an amateur baking champion
27. Frances Quinn’s chocolate Christmas cake
Serves: 10 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 1 hr 35 min
Remember Frances Quinn from the early dawn of Bake Off? She was the super creative champion of the show back in 2013 and is still baking up a storm with this chocolate snowflake cake, using chocolate fingers and white choc buttons – and thrilling kids, both big and little, in the process. "Hidden chocolate snow bites not only add an extra chocolate hit to the centre of the cake but serve up a surprise amid the chocolate ganache filling when the cake is sliced through," says Frances.
Top tip: “This is a simple design ideal for beginners as it is decorated with treats you can find in the supermarket,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Frances Quinn's chocolate Christmas cake
A festive frosting for ginger lovers
28. Ginger Christmas cake
Serves: 20 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 4 hr
Ginger wine is the key ingredient here, where it is used to soak the fruit to get the most out of this flavoursome Christmas cake. Far lighter and fluffier than a typical festive fruit cake, there are still nods to tradition with the addition of mixed spice and a topping of marzipan and icing. Finish off with a few sprigs of holly for a lovely final touch.
Top tip: “Perfect for those who want a break from traditional Christmas cake, this cake ideally needs to be planned in advance to give the fruit a couple of days to soak,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Ginger Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
29. Dairy-free Christmas cake
Serves: 12-15 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 2 hr
Crammed with rum-soaked fruit, this rich sweet Christmas cake is suitable for vegetarians and dairy- and gluten-free. A lot of the moisture comes from the unusual addition of banana, chestnut puree and silken tofu, and the eggs can also be omitted and replaced with chia seeds mixed with water for a vegan option.
Top tip: “The recipe and rustic decorating make this cake great for beginners – as well as dairy free guests,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Dairy-free Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
The wreath shape of this German-style cake is a lovely festive touch
30. Treacle bundt cake with limoncello drizzle
Serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 1 hr 10 min
Great for any celebratory occasion, this boozy bundt cake is the perfect Christmas cake alternative. The ginger and the treacle give it a wintery feel, and it can be decorated however you wish – with dried fruit, crushed nuts, or even some ginger chocolates. And why not sprinkle the result with edible glitter or dust with icing sugar to give it an extra festive feel?
Top tip: “A great Christmas cake alternative, and the shape makes it feel festive as it is reminiscent of a Christmas wreath,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Treacle bundt cake with limoncello drizzle (opens in new tab)
Because the simplest things are sometimes the best
31. Classic chic Christmas cake
Serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 1 hr
It’s nearly the big day and your nerves are in tatters at the mere sight of your to-do list. Keep things simple-ish yet impressive by decorating your cake with an icing pen to write out (with your steadiest hand) a festive message. First add marzipan and icing to a shop-bought fruit cake (no one will ever know) and then practise first before writing out your wishes. If the full Merry Christmas is a few letters too many, think of an easier alternative (Ho Ho Ho, anyone?).
Top tip: “This is the one if you’re short on time, but really want a personal Christmas cake,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Classic chic Christmas cake (opens in new tab)
The most delightful festive fondant scene
32. Snow cake
Serves: 12-15 | Skill level: Difficult | Total time: 4 hr
This ‘snow much fun’ cake is a winter wonder-ful masterpiece, and worth the investment in time it takes to create for the awe of your guests. Fondant snow balls, a snowman, a cute bucket and spade, and some fabulous folk dressed in their wintery finery off to play in the powder. Utterly delightful.
Top tip: “The decoration requires a lot of experience. If you like the look of the cake but don’t have the know-how, create the snow scene but leave the people off,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Snow much fun cake (opens in new tab)
Excellent gifts for granny, we feel
33. Mini snowflake and gingerbread men squares
Serves: 16 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 1 hr
Wrap in cellophane, tie with Christmas ribbon and give these adorable, vibrant cakes as gifts. You’ll need snowflake cutters for this rather professional looking effect, some mini gingerbread men, packs of coloured fondant icing, ready-made marzipan and some apricot jam to stick it all together. Use a ready-made fruit cake or bake the Easy Christmas cake recipe (opens in new tab) and chop into squares once it’s had a chance to mature. Perfection.
Top tip: “These little cakes are great gifts. A tip for working with fondant is to save money on edible glue, and use a few droplets of water to stick the fondant together,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Mini square Christmas cakes (opens in new tab)
Marzipan and chocolate icing, and a delightful-looking bow
34. Christmas gift cake
Serves: 8-10 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 1 hr 50 min
The chocolate cake has a festive touch with the addition of almonds while the icing has an interesting touch, as it’s made with chocolate and golden syrup (yes, it reminds us of chocolate cornflake cakes too – which can only be a good thing). There’s also a festive nod in the very professional-looking bow decoration, as it is made with strips of marzipan as well as chocolate.
Top tip: “This cake is not as tricky as it looks and can be whipped up and decorated in an afternoon,” says Naomi Boles.
Get the recipe: Chocolate and almond parcel cake (opens in new tab)
Top tips for decorating a Christmas cake
- Learn two big festive decorating skills – how to make perfect royal icing (opens in new tab)and fondant Christmas cake decorations (opens in new tab). “If you’re just starting out with fondant modelling, then try the Snowmen figures. If you’re more experienced, then push yourself to try and create an elf,” says Naomi Boles. “And royal icing doesn’t require the perfection of decorating tools. The effect can be created easily with a spoon.”
- Use cake decorating tools to help you out – a cake decorating turntable and icing smoother are the perfect utensils to help achieve a perfectly polished look with your icing. An adjustable cake leveller allows you to trim off any raised lumps and bumps that the cake grew in the oven, for the perfect base for your Christmas decorating creations.
- Help fondant icing decorations stick to your fondant-based cake by dusting them with a little water. This will activate the sugars in the icing and help them to stay stuck. Or use a spot of frosting or buttercream to 'cement' them in place – be careful not to use too much or it might escape and be visible underneath.
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