Stollen wreath cake

Method

• step 1

  Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and lightly flour a 1.4-litre Bundt tin. Beat the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs with a handful of flour and beat in, followed by the vanilla and almond extract. Tip in half the remaining flour, half the ground almonds, half the soured cream and all of the baking powder and beat in.

• step 2

  Mix the rest of the flour with the pistachios, sultanas, remaining ground almonds, the flaked almonds, cherries and mixed peel, then stir into the cake mixture with the remaining soured cream. Spoon into the tin, spread to level and bake for 50 mins until a poked-in skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 mins in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

• step 3

  To decorate, first roll the marzipan into a sausage shape long enough to sit on top of the cake in a ring. Position it on top and squeeze the two ends together, then press down a little to help it stick in place. Mix the fondant icing sugar with enough water to make a thick but spreadable icing – add the water little by little, so you don’t end up with a really runny icing. Spoon the icing over the marzipan ring, letting it dribble down the sides a little. Shape the Regal-Ice Icing into holly leaves and dust with green glitter or press on green sprinkles. Arrange on top of the cake, using the whole glacé cherries as the berries.