Ideas for (simple, stylish) Christmas cake decor please...

[bowbluebell]

Hello,

I have bitten the bullet and made a lovely, rich, fruity christmas cake. Normally MIL takes on this job and since she is a professional artist, only has to look at a ribbon and a sprig of rosemary and the cake looks like something from Country Life magazine.

Any ideas greatly appreciated on how I (frankly, a numpty when it comes to all things decorative)can achieve a stylish cake with minimal creative flair and effort? I think I might have a point to prove!!
Thanks:)

I am using sugar frosted fruit on mine. a fig and/or plum, some redcurrants and blueberries, dip in egg white then roll in caster sugar et voila, trimmed with gingham ribbon round the edge.

Hmm - I am not one for direct competition with the MIL - it will only end in tears!!!

Why not go for something different, and a lot more stylish? Dispense with the marzipan and icing and cover the whole thing in whole nuts eg almonds walnuts, brazils, pecans and glazed fruits eg prunes, apricaot, figs, crystallised pineapple, ginger. Glaze cake with apricot jam and brandy mixed, stick stuff on artfully then glaze what you've put on.

Good idea taffetacat or you could use just marzipan and cut out christmassy shapes and sieve icing sugar over the top in an arty way Like snow!!

Taffetacat's idea makes a very nice looking cake, but if it 'aint' iced white, it 'aint' a proper Christmas cake, IMHO.

Plain white with a tiny sprig of variagated holly on the top, and a red ribbon around the middle, or something similarly plain. The last thing you want is 'fussy'.

ice it white, brush with luster dust in "snowflake" colour, then cut out stars in white and stick those on, or dust the stars sparkly then leave the cake plain. Finsh with a lovely floppy satiny bow in white or red.

I always find ribbon from the florist easier than floppy ribbon. I'm sure you could talk them into making a fancy bow for you too.

The Nigella christmas book has some lovely christmas cake icing ideas. Maybe a cheeky glance through the copy at waterstones? (though I do recommend the book if you're in the market!)

Thanks for the ideas. I like the idea of frosted fruit- as seen on the front of the SAinsburys magazine (although that may be the sort of thing that would go horribly wrong if I attempted it).
I looked at lustre powder on Amazon and it's really expensive! So.... I'm going to try the stars idea in white and silver icing (can you get silver icing??) with a pale blue bow.
Fingers crossed.... :)

you can't get silver icing unfortunately...BUT if you get silver spoon silver balls from sainsburys (they're more shiny than the ones in tesco) you could stick those into your stars, say three in the middle then on each alternate point, or whatever. That would look pretty!