How to: make a Santa hat cake cover

This Santa hat cake cover is absolutely gorgeous and a guaranteed talking point for your Christmas entertaining! Here’s how to make one…

Step 1 Use a 250g block of ready-to-roll red fondant and form it into a flat disc. Place it in the middle of a cake covered in marzipan to create a mound shape for the hat.

Step 2 On a large sheet of greaseproof paper dusted with cornflour, roll out a 500g block of ready-to-roll red fondant into one large sheet. Brush the marzipan with warmed apricot jam.

Step 3 Use a rolling pin to transfer the sheet of fondant over the centre of the cake.

Step 4 Arrange the fondant around the cake to create a hat shape, folding it in to make the hat tip.

Step 5 Mould the fondant to the sides of the cake to secure it against the marzipan.

Step 6 Dust off the excess cornflour and brush with a very small amount of water to neaten. Smooth the sides of the cake and trim any excess from the bottom.

Step 7 Brush the bottom rim of the cake with warmed apricot jam.

Step 8 Place a long strip of white fondant around the bottom rim of the cake, making sure that it is long enough to go around the whole cake. Trim to the cake size.

Step 9 Add a bit more apricot jam to the tip of the hat.

Step 10 Roll a ball of white fondant and attach it to the tip of the hat.

Step 11 Use a piping bag fitted with a small star-shaped nozzle (or a tin of ready-to-use icing) to decorate the white trim.

Step 12 Finish decorating the top half of the cake trim with more buttercream icing.