Our Christmas wreath cake with fondant stars is a stunning festive centrepiece. The Christmas wreath cake is packed with dried fruits and winter spices, and the fondant stars make it so eye catching. For something different this Christmas, trying making our impressive Christmas wreath cake with fondant stars.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 200ml sweet sherry
- finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 350g dried mixed fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants and mixed citrus peel)
- 150g dried cranberries
- 250g butter
- 250g light muscovado sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 250g self-raising flour
- 1tbsp ground mixed spice
- 3tbsp ground almonds
- 1tbsp vanilla extract
For the decoration:
- cornflour
- 1.5kg ready to roll white fondant icing
- 1 egg white
- pearl lustre spray
- gold lustre dust
- pink glitter spray
- 2tsp clear alcoholic spirit such as gin, vodka or white rum
- 4tbsp apricot jam, warmed and sieved
- 2 x 500g packets white marzipan
You will need:
- 23cm greased silicone or nonstick ring mould
- star cutters
- 24 gauge white florist and Sugarcraft Wire (from Amazon)
- rose gold ribbon
Step 2
To make the stars, lightly sprinkle the work surface with a little sieved cornflour, then take 500g ready to roll icing and roll out with a fondant rolling pin to a 3mm thickness.
Step 3
Dip star cutters into cornflour and stamp out as many stars as possible. Using a small palette knife, carefully lift stars on to a baking parchment-covered tray.
Step 4
Cut sugarcraft wire to varying lengths around 5-7.5cm long. Dip end into egg white. Hold a star firmly but gently between your fingers and insert the dipped end three-quarters of the way through the star. You should see the faint line of the wire inside the star but it should not be poking out through the other side. Put on a tray to dry. After a couple of hours, turn the stars over to dry.
Step 5
Spray a third of the stars with pearl lustre spray (taking care to cover surrounding surfaces). Mix ½tsp of rose gold lustre in a small dish with a few drops of alcohol to make a smooth liquid and brush over half the remaining stars. Dust the remaining stars with pink glitter spray. Store in a sealed box in a cool place for up to 2 weeks.
Step 6
To decorate, put the cake on a serving board or plate. Brush the cake ring with apricot jam. Divide the marzipan into
3 and roll out on baking parchment into 3 long sausage shapes of 26cm then, using a fondant rolling pin, roll each one to 15cm width. Carefully lift each one on to the cake
to cover it, pressing the joins together to seal and trimming off any excess. Rub over with a cake smoother. Brush marzipan with cooled, boiled water.
Divide icing into 4, keep 3 pieces wrapped. Roll out one piece on
a cornflour-dusted sheet of baking parchment.
Using the cake smoother
as a guide, cut into 3 rectangles each of about 7.5cm x 15cm. Arrange icing pieces over the cake, overlapping a little. Repeat with the remaining icing 3 more times until
all of the cake is covered. Use cake smoother to help get rid of any cracks.
Spray entire cake with pearl lustre. Gently push in the lustred starbursts to decorate. Tie a ribbon around cake to finish. Keep in a sealed box in a cool place for up to 2 weeks.