Santa's stocking cake recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

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.

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.

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.

Using ready-to-roll white icing Lightly brush the surface of the cake with cooled boiled water. Dust a surface with icing sugar and knead 750g ready-to-roll white icing until softened and smooth. Roll out to a round and ease the icing over the cake using the rolling pin to help. Guide the icing over the edges of the cake, then smooth the surface with your palms. Trim the excess with a sharp knife. To make royal icing put 1 egg white in a large bowl and sift in 200g icing sugar, stirring with until smooth.