Instead of icing my Christmas Cake this year I am thinking of.....

[ObamaSelf]

... topping with glazed dried fruit/nuts. I've looked it up and it seems to be a matter of just glazing the fruit with jam & water. However I don't know how far in advance I could do it, is it something to be done just before serving it? Has anyone done this kind of topping and could advise me?

I used to do this but DD now has nut allergy so that's out of the window.

I followed Delia, she states that glazed cakes can be stored for three months. The brandy in the fruit topping glace keeps it fresh if stored in an air tight container.

From memory I think I used to do it a week or so before Christmas just so that I could keep feeding the cake until the last minute.

Delia says 8 no soaked prunes, 6 no soak apricot halves, 2 no soak figs, halved and 5 glace cherries 1 heaped tablespoon apricot jam and 2 tablespoons of brandy to cover an 8 inch round or 7 inch square cake.

Thanks! Hadn't thought of adding brandy to the topping, between that and the weekly 'feeding' it'll be more alcohol than fruit