Description
A festive and richly textured Stollen wreath cake packed with almonds, sultanas, cherries, and mixed peel, topped with a marzipan ring and decorated with holly-shaped icing leaves and edible glitter for a perfect holiday centerpiece.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter
- 175g butter, softened
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 200g plain flour
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 75g ground almonds
- 170g pot soured cream
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 50g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
- 140g sultanas
- 50g toasted flaked almonds
- 50g red glacé cherries, sliced
- 50g mixed peel
Decoration
- 250g marzipan
- 350g fondant icing sugar, sifted
- About 100g green Regal-Ice Ready to Roll icing (or white icing mixed with green food colouring)
- Edible green glitter or sprinkles
- About 9 whole red glacé cherries to decorate
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Tin: Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or gas mark 4. Grease and lightly flour a 1.4-litre Bundt tin to prevent sticking.
- Make the Batter Base: Beat the softened butter and golden caster sugar together until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time with a handful of flour, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla and almond extracts for flavor.
- Add Dry and Wet Ingredients: Stir in half of the remaining plain flour, half of the ground almonds, half of the soured cream, and all of the baking powder until well combined to form a smooth batter.
- Incorporate Nuts and Fruits: Mix the remaining flour with the pistachios, sultanas, ground almonds, toasted flaked almonds, sliced glacé cherries, and mixed peel separately. Fold this mixture into the cake batter along with the remaining soured cream, ensuring even distribution of fruits and nuts.
- Bake the Cake: Spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt tin and spread it evenly. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Shape and Place the Marzipan Ring: Roll the marzipan into a long sausage shape and position it as a ring atop the cooled cake. Press the ends together and gently press the ring down to secure it in place.
- Prepare and Apply the Icing: Mix the sifted fondant icing sugar with a small amount of water gradually until a thick but spreadable icing forms. Spoon the icing over the marzipan ring, allowing it to drip slightly down the sides for a natural effect.
- Create Holly Leaf Decorations: Shape the green Regal-Ice icing into holly leaves or prepare white icing mixed with green food coloring as an alternative. Dust the leaves with edible green glitter or press green sprinkles onto them for added sparkle.
- Final Assembly: Arrange the holly leaves and use the whole red glacé cherries as berries on top of the marzipan ring. Allow the icing to set before serving your beautifully decorated festive Stollen wreath cake.
Notes
- The Bundt tin should be about 1.4 litres in volume for best results.
- If green Regal-Ice icing is unavailable, mix white icing with green food coloring as a substitute.
- Work with marzipan at room temperature to make it easier to shape.
- Adding nuts and dried fruits provides texture and enhances the holiday flavor typical of Stollen.
- Store the cake in an airtight container; it can improve in flavor after a day or two.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German/European
Keywords: Stollen cake, Christmas cake, Bundt cake, festive baking, holiday dessert, marzipan cake, fruit cake, nut cake
