A good Christmas cake is at its best when its been matured – that is, set aside and ‘fed’ with spirits (usually rum or brandy) so that the flavours have time to mingle with each other and simultaneously mellow out and intensify. A cake can be covered in marzipan 3-5 days before eating. Allow a day before icing for the marzipan to dry, plus another day for the icing to set completely.
