Description

This Simple Snow Sparkle Cake is a festive and elegant dessert perfect for the holiday season. Topped with a crunchy sugary crust made from crushed sugar cubes, preserving sugar, and edible pearly balls, it offers a delightful texture contrast to the soft Christmas cake base. Finished with edible silver glitter and optional decorative ribbons and figurines, this cake shines beautifully on any celebration table.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Sugar Topping

400g white sugar cubes
100g preserving sugar
3 tbsp edible pearly balls
1 egg white, lightly whisked
Edible silver glitter (to decorate)

For the Cake

1 20cm-wide Christmas cake (pre-baked, see goes well with)
Ribbons (for decoration)
Shop-bought decorations or figurines (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the sugar mixture: Place the white sugar cubes in a large bowl and crush them thoroughly using the end of a rolling pin until you achieve a consistency similar to sugary rubble. Mix in the preserving sugar, edible pearly balls, and the lightly whisked egg white, stirring until the mixture has the texture of wet sand.
Top the cake: With the Christmas cake still in its tin after baking, gently tip the prepared sugar mixture evenly over the top of the cake. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to level the surface to ensure an even crust.
Bake the topping: Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan/gas mark 6). Return the cake with the sugar topping to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. This short bake sets the sugary crust, creating a crisp, sparkling layer on top.
Cool and decorate: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely while still in the tin. Once cooled, carefully remove the cake from the tin and peel off any baking parchment. Lightly sprinkle the top with edible silver glitter to create a sparkling snow effect. Finish by tying ribbons around the cake’s side and adding shop-bought decorations or your favorite festive figurines if desired.

Notes

Ensure the cake is fully cooled before decorating to prevent melting of the sugar topping and decorations.
Use edible glitter and decorations that are food-safe and non-toxic.
The preserving sugar helps bind the sugar topping; if unavailable, caster sugar can be a substitute but may affect texture slightly.
This cake is ideal as a centerpiece dessert during Christmas celebrations.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: British

Keywords: snow sparkle cake, Christmas cake, festive dessert, sugar crust cake, holiday cake, decorative cake