Santa's stocking cake

• covered with marzipan18-23cm fruit cake

  and ready-to-roll white icing

• ready-to-roll white icing↗250g g

  (see 'Try' tip)

• pink, green and orange food colouring↗

  (or use colours of your choice)

• quantity soft royal icing1

  (see 'Try' tip)

• thin red ribbon
• orange, green and pink Smarties↗

  plus 3 small gift boxes

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Knead the ready-to-roll icing until smooth, then split into three equal pieces and colour each with colouring. Roll out to approx ½cm thickness and, using a template, cut out eight stocking shapes. Set aside.

2. 2

   Make the royal icing and colour as before. With the end of a skewer, dot small 'spots' all over the stocking shapes (or use a piping bag). Set aside to dry. Keep the coloured icing covered with cling film until later.

3. 3

   Fix the ribbon around the top edge of the cake, using a thin line of icing to help it stick. Using a little leftover coloured icing, ‘hang’ the stockings on the cake, just underneath the ribbon, in alternating colours. Top the cake with Smartie-filled boxes and scatter Smarties over the cake and cake board.