How to marzipan and ice a Christmas cake:

• Heat the jam with a splash of water and push it through a sieve.
• Brush this all over the sides and top of the cake in an even, thin layer.
• Dust the work surface and your rolling pin with icing sugar.
• Dust the ball of marzipan with icing sugar too .
• Flatten the marzipan using a downwards pressing motion, turning 90 degrees a few times.
• Then start to roll it out, with even pressure, turning as you go.
• When it’s the desired thickness and size curl it onto the rolling pin.
• Using the rolling pin, lift the marzipan and unroll it onto the cake starting at the back.
• Use the flats of your hands to smooth the marzipan into place.
• Trim away the excess marzipan from the base of the cake using a sharp knife.
• To cover in ready-to-roll icing start by dusting the work surface and rolling pin again with icing sugar.
• Take some ready-to-roll icing, which has been kneaded to make it more pliable and dust that with icing sugar too.
• Repeat the same rolling process used for the marzipan until the icing is about 1/2cm thick.
• Brush the cake with cold boiled water to help the icing stick.
• Start by laying the icing at the back of the cake and lower it down to the front.
• Use the flats of your hands to smooth the icing over the cake.
• Neatly trim away any excess icing. The cake is now ready to decorate.