By now, your Christmas cake should be well and truly aged. See our article on preparing your cake here. Mine have been sitting in a cold place since late September. I wrapped them in muslin cloth (which I had soaked in Irish whiskey and aromatic vanilla).Then, I wrapped the muslin-covered cakes with cling film and foil to ensure they aren't exposed to air or light while ageing.

On Monday, I unwrapped the cakes to see how they had aged. I was very pleased! They smell rich and boozy, their colour is a deep, dark brown and they are firm but moist.

I made a simple marzipan and covered the tops. Then I let them sit overnight so the marzipan could dry out. Finally, I decorated them in a rich whiskey-flavoured buttercream icing. I know royal icing or fondant are the usual Christmas cake coverings, but I find buttercream firms up very nicely, while also adding much more flavour than royal icing.

Have a very happy Christmas!

Easy Marzipan

200g ground almonds

200g icing sugar

1 egg yolk

Splash of water

Directions:

1 Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

2 Add a splash of water at a time to make a pliable dough-like consistency.

3 If the mixture is too wet; add more icing sugar to get a consistency where you can shape it over the top of the Christmas cake.

Irish whiskey buttercream

500g icing sugar

100g softened butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

50-60ml Irish whiskey

Directions:

1 Mix all ingredients together (this works best when using a stand mixer) and beat on high with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer until light, fluffy and well whipped. If it's too stiff and not spreading easily; add a drop more whiskey or some cream to the mixture.

2 Cover the entire cake with an even spread of buttercream. Pipe decorations on the top and add Christmas sprinkles. Add a ribbon around the base, if desired. Let sit at least 24 hours before slicing into the cake.