Christmas Cake Icing

As the Christmas season approached, Gabriel and I set out to finish off the cake I’d made by adding our own festive decorations. After flipping through a few ideas, Gabriel settled on a simple yet charming design: a Christmas tree with little presents around it. With a plan in place and a bit of fondant icing, we were ready to turn our cake into a holiday masterpiece.

To get started, we laid out our design on paper. We grabbed a plate the same size as the cake and traced a circle on a sheet of white paper. Inside this “cake circle,” Gabriel sketched a Christmas tree, complete with small gift boxes at the bottom and decorations on the branches. With our plan in hand, we were ready to bring it to life.

Setting the Base: Apricot Jam, Marzipan, and White Fondant

Before diving into the coloured decorations, we needed a smooth base. We warmed up some apricot jam, using it as a glue to help the marzipan and fondant adhere. First, we carefully rolled out the marzipan and pressed it over the cake, trimming the edges to fit. Next, we layered on a smooth sheet of white fondant, creating a blank canvas for our tree.

Crafting the Christmas Tree and Gifts

With the base set, Gabriel rolled out the green fondant and cut out a Christmas tree shape, following the pattern he’d drawn on our paper. Once the tree was placed on the cake, he added a little string of decorations along the branches using tiny coloured balls of fondant. Finally, he rolled out small red and blue squares for presents, setting them up at the base of the tree. Bit by bit, the cake came to life as each fondant piece was placed with care.

A Festive Cake Made with Love

The final result was simple but festive, and Gabriel beamed with pride at his creation. Decorating the cake together brought as much joy as any holiday tradition, and every time we looked at it, we felt a bit of extra holiday spirit.

Now, when it’s time to slice into our Christmas cake, we’ll be cutting through layers of sweet fondant—and memories.