Christmas Pudding Cake Recipe
Celebrate the festive season with this charming Christmas pudding cake, featuring a moist 20cm fruitcake topped with smooth white fondant icing shaped like dripping custard. Decorated with hand-crafted holly leaves and berries colored in traditional red and green, this cake is both visually stunning and delightfully delicious, perfect for holiday gatherings.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 1 20cm decorated Christmas pudding cake 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
Scale
Cake and Icing
- 500g ready-to-roll white fondant icing
- Icing sugar, for dusting
- 2 tbsp smooth apricot jam
- 1 x 20cm fruitcake
Decoration
- Red food colouring gel
- Green food colouring gel
- Edible gold leaf (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the fondant base: Roll out the white fondant icing on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar to about the thickness of a £1 coin. Use the 20cm cake tin as a template and cut a perfect 20cm circle from the fondant. Then, cut horizontally across the circle about a third of the way down in an undulating pattern to mimic dripping custard on the cake. Set this piece aside and keep the offcuts covered to prevent drying.
- Attach the fondant to the cake: Warm the apricot jam gently over low heat until it loosens. Brush the warmed jam over the top third of the fruitcake to act as an adhesive. Carefully place the fondant circle on top, pressing gently to stick it securely to the cake.
- Create the red berries: Take a small amount of the reserved fondant offcuts and dab with red food colouring. Knead briefly to evenly distribute the colour, adding more if needed to achieve a deep red shade. Roll the coloured fondant into one or two grape-sized balls to form berries.
- Craft the holly leaves: Colour the remaining fondant offcuts a deep green by kneading in green food colouring. Roll out the green fondant and cut out two or three holly leaf shapes using a sharp knife or a shaped cutter. For added detail, use a knife or a skewer to lightly score veins into the leaves for a realistic effect.
- Assemble the decorations: Arrange the green holly leaves and red berries at the top edge of the fondant custard piece on the cake. Use a little apricot jam to help the decorations stick firmly in place. If desired, lightly dust the holly and berries with edible gold leaf using a fine paintbrush to add a festive shimmer.
Notes
- Ensure the fondant is kept covered when not in use to prevent it from drying out and cracking.
- Use apricot jam warmed just enough to loosen without thinning to avoid a runny texture on the cake.
- Edible gold leaf is optional but adds an elegant and festive touch to your decoration.
- You can prepare the decorations a day ahead; store the cake covered in a cool dry place.
- If you don’t have a cake tin the same size, measure the cake diameter carefully and adjust the fondant cutting accordingly.
Keywords: Christmas cake, fruitcake, fondant icing, holiday dessert, festive cake, apricot jam, holly decoration
Find it online: https://spatulaqueen.com/christmas-pudding-cake-recipe/
