Video recipe: Star design Christmas cake

Impress your guests this festive season with this easy yet stunning star design Christmas cake recipe.

This recipe can be found in the 17th November issue of Woman's Weekly magazine.

18cm (7in) square fruit cake - see our recipe for apricot and cranberry cake
4-6 level tbsp apricot glaze or sieved apricot jam
600-750g (11/4-750g) marzipan
1-1.25kg (2-23/4lb) white sugarpaste
125g (4oz) blue sugarpaste
White Disco/Hologram glitter (non-toxic), eg Edable Art
Edible glue, eg Squires Kitchen
Veining modelling tool
Approximately 3m (3yards) x 4.5cm ribbon, preferably wire edge
1.10m (44in) x 15mm (5/8in) wide ribbon
Double sided sticky tape

 1. If the cake has risen in the centre and is not level, trim the top to level it then upturn the cake and place it centrally on the cake drum. Warm the apricot glaze or jam until it's just boiling and spread it over the top and sides of the cake using a palette knife.

2. Knead the marzipan to soften it and roll it out on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar so that it's large enough to cover the top and sides of the cake. Lift the marzipan over the cake, and then press it down on the top.

3. For square cakes, ease in the fullness at the corners, for round cakes, ease in the fullness all the way around the cake and press the marzipan firmly against the sides.

4. Trim away the excess marzipan around the base of the cake, keeping any trimmings well wrapped in a freezer bag so they can be reused for another cake. Rub the surface of the marzipan smooth using an icing smoother or a plastic sidescraper.

5. Knead the sugarpaste to soften it and then roll it out so it's large enough to cover the top and sides of the cake, and also the top of the cake drum. Brush water over the marzipan and the top of the cake drum and then lift the sugarpaste over the cake and press it down on the top of the cake, then the sides, then the top of the cake drum, ensuring that no air is trapped under the sugarpaste. Trim away the excess around the edge of the cake drum.

6. Rub the surface of the sugarpaste smooth, as in for the marzipan.

7. As soon as the cake has been covered with sugarpaste, press the veining tool into the icing covering the top of the cake drum and roll the tool slightly to pattern the icing.

8. Re-trim around the edge of the cake drum.