Dessert

Snow-Topped Holly Cakes Recipe

ByEthan Lark December 5, 2025December 5, 2025

Introduction

Snow-topped holly cakes are a festive treat perfect for the holiday season. Filled with rich dried fruits and warming spices, these traditional cakes are topped with marzipan and a smooth layer of fondant icing, decorated with cherries and holly for a beautiful finish.

A rectangular fruitcake with a dark brown base full of small, textured bits of dried fruit. The cake is topped with a thick, smooth layer of white icing that drips slightly over the sides. On top, there are bright red round cherries evenly spaced along the cake’s length, paired with shiny green holly leaves with pointed edges, creating a festive look. The cake sits on a white plate on a white marbled surface, next to a lit candle in a glass holder and a fork. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

8 glacé cherries
Small holly sprigs, washed and dried
200g dark muscovado sugar
175g butter, chopped
700g luxury mixed dried fruits
50g glacé cherries
2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
Zest and juice of 1 orange
100ml dark rum, brandy or orange juice
85g pecans
3 large eggs, beaten
85g ground almonds
200g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp cinnamon
250g pack marzipan, halved
Icing sugar, for dusting
2 tbsp warmed apricot jam
500g pack fondant icing sugar

Instructions

Step 1: Tip the sugar, butter, dried fruit, whole cherries, ginger, orange zest and juice into a large pan. Pour over the rum, brandy or orange juice, then heat slowly to bring to the boil, stirring frequently to melt the butter.
Step 2: Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Stir the pecans, beaten eggs and ground almonds into the fruit mixture. Sift in the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and cinnamon, then mix gently but thoroughly to combine.
Step 4: Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan)/gas mark 2. Butter and line an 18cm square tin with baking paper. Spoon in the cake mixture and smooth the top with a spoon dipped in boiling water.
Step 5: Bake for 45 minutes, then reduce the oven to 140°C (120°C fan)/gas mark 1 and bake for a further hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack.
Step 6: Once cooled, carefully cut the cake in half and trim the edges to reveal the texture all around. Roll out each half of marzipan on a surface dusted with icing sugar to fit the top of each cake piece.
Step 7: Brush the tops of the cakes generously with warmed apricot jam and press jam-side down onto the rolled marzipan. Trim away any excess marzipan with a sharp knife.
Step 8: Prepare the fondant icing to a spreading consistency and spread it over each cake, allowing some to run slightly over the edges.
Step 9: Decorate with glacé cherries and holly sprigs, then leave the icing to set.

Tips & Variations

For extra moisture, soak the dried fruits overnight in the rum or brandy before cooking.
Replace pecans with walnuts or almonds if preferred.
Use orange juice instead of alcohol for a child-friendly version.
Dust marzipan and rolling surface with icing sugar to prevent sticking.

Storage

Store the finished cakes in a plastic container in a cool place for 4 to 7 days. Wrapped well in foil, the cake can be kept for up to 2 months, or frozen for up to a year. When ready to eat, thaw frozen cake slowly at room temperature.