Ingredients

Step by step

1. For this recipe you will need to make our fig, apricot and pistachio cake. Put the cake, base side up, onto a serving plate or cake board.
2. Roll out the marzipan on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar until it is a 35cm circle, about 5mm thick. Cut off a little of the marzipan and roll into a thin sausage to fill any gaps between the cake and the plate or board.
3. Gently heat the apricot glaze until melted, then brush all over the cake. Use the rolling pin to lift the marzipan and arrange it over the top of the cake. Dust your hands with icing sugar and smooth the marzipan to cover the cake completely, working out any folds and wrinkles. Trim to make a neat edge.
4. Brush the cake all over with cooled boiled water. Repeat the same method as the marzipan with the soft white icing, smoothing the sides to cover the cake completely, working out any folds or wrinkles. Trim to make a neat edge.
5. Reroll the trimmings and cut out 15 stars with a 3cm star cutter, and 3 stars with a 7cm star cutter. Brush the back of each small star with a little cooled boiled water and stick to the base of the cake. Work all around the edge of the cake to make a border. Again, brush the 3 large stars with a little water and arrange on the top of the cake.
6. Using a 3-4cm round cutter or the metal case from the tea light, stamp out a circle from the centre of each star, all the way through the icing until you reach the marzipan. Remove the circles of icing with a cocktail stick or fork and put a tea light in the centre of each star. Brush the top of the cake very very lightly with a dampened artist's paint brush, just to moisten it, then sprinkle over the silver stars and leave to dry.