Fruit & nut topping for Christmas cake

method

If you like Christmas cake but you're not a fan of the sickly fondant or thick royal icing it's usually decorated with, try ringing the changes with this lighter fruity option.

Place the apricot jam in a small pan with a splash of water and simmer on a low heat, then remove from heat and leave to cool a little. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the cake with jam and arrange your fruit on top, starting with the bigger pieces, dotting the smaller fruits and nuts in and around the gaps. Finish the cake by brushing everything with a final coat of the apricot glaze to give it a lovely gloss.

Recipe © Georgie Socratous. From Jamie Magazine, issue 14, 2010.

serves:

ingredients

• 50g apricot jam
• 250g glacé or dried fruits, whole or cut into large strips
• pecans, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts