How do you decorate your Christmas cake?

[Sinkingfeeling]

I'm thinking of using marzipan and fondant icing this year - does anyone have any links to Christmas cakes they've decorated that way in the past, or have any (not too complicated) suggestions?

When I was a child, my mum used to decorate our cake in this Delia way.
www.deliaonline.com/how-to-cook/baking/how-to-decorate-a-christmas-cake.html
It's very simple, but effective and quite sophisticated.

Oh I have loads of ancient and minging christmas cake decorations that I have to put on or it wouldn't be right.

My mum always did that peaks thing in royal icing and I use the roll out stuff. I may go wild and make my own marzipan this year, apparently it is tres easy.

Sorry, no sophis ideas here.

um, i have marzipan and plain white roll out icing. i have a silver ribbon, and a little silver thing to go on top

Marking my place. Devoid of inspiration.

Ruth that is fantastic - looks v sophisticated and even I could probably manage it. I even have a press-out holly leaf cutter thingy.

Dando My Mum always did (and does) the royal icing in peak thing with random plastic holly leaves and Father Christmas and stuff. This is the year I'm moving on ...

It changes every year - last year we had marzipan and royal icing then I made a chimney from icing and used a santa tree decoration to go on top, decsending the chimney.

This year I may do a nativity scene...

Great!
I'm glad you like that idea.
I certainly remember it well (My mum died almost 20 years ago!)
It will be top of my list if I ever decorate a christmas cake myself!

Last year I did snowy peaks of royal icing.
On top I chucked loads of silver balls and a couple of smashed up candy canes. Big red and silver ribbon round it - the kind with wire in the edges. Easy peasy and looked very festive - like two snowmen had bashed each other's brains in!

My experience is that ready roll fondants icing tastes nasty.. But instant powdered royal icing is great - it's just icing sugar and dried eggwhite, nothing nasty in it, and you are not left with a fridge full of egg yolks. I have made marzipan before, but not sure it's worth it - good shop bought is just fine (the organic stuff is good