Santa’s stocking cake

Ingredients

• 18-23cm fruit cake covered with marzipan and ready-to-roll white icing
• 250g ready-to-roll white icing (see 'Try' tip)
• pink, green and orange food colouring (or use colours of your choice)
• 1 quantity soft royal icing (see 'Try' tip)
• thin red ribbon
• orange, green and pink Smarties, plus 3 small gift boxes

Directions

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. 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. 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.