So you've sozzled the dried fruit and baked the cake to perfection and filled your house with the most wonderful warming smell of spices and brandy and cakey goodness. Now its time for your creative flair to come out of the wood work.
I love marzipan so I will marzipan my cake but if you don't like marzipan then just use a double layer of roll out icing.
Apricot Jam
Brandy
875g Marzipan (1kg for a square cake)
875g Roll out icing (any colour you wish) (1kg for a square cake)
Icing Sugar
Food colourings
Christmassy cutters, Stars, Holly, Xmas Trees, Gingerbread Men - what ever you fancy!
Sprinkles, edible dregees, edible silver balls, Brightly coloured ribbon! Basically whatever you fancy!
10" or 11" Cake Board
Pastry brush
Once your cake is totally cooled you can start to ice it! This is the fun part and if you are blessed with kids then its time to get the family in on this masterpiece.
In a heat proof cup or small bowl put 2 tbsp of Apricot jam and heat it in the microwave for no more than 30 seconds just so the jam becomes runny. Place your cake in the centre of the cake board you're going to be using and then using your pastry brush liberally apply all over the cake paying particular attention to the edgers and corners.
Roll out your marzipan if using or roll out icing into a large circle - not too thin it needs to be approx 0.5cm thick. Once its large enough roll it back onto the rolling pin - so its wrapped around the rolling pin. Bring the cake in front of you and the rolling pin and then carefully lift the rolling pin up and slowly unwind the marzipan so it falls over the cake completely like a blanket. Place your hand lightly on top of your cake and gently rub down so the marzipan has adhered to the apricot "glue" following your hand down one side of the cake gently ease the marzipan over the sides of the cake nice and neatly with the flat of your hands until all the cakes covered. You'll have an excess of marzipan which you can trim off with a knife.And relax! Now you can leave the cake at this stage for a little time so the marzipan can firm up and air dry slightly before covering with the icing or you can press on. I personally find it easier to leave to one side for an hour and get on with something else like cutting your decorative shapes and finishing touches. I've also left the marzipaned cake overnight covered by a tea towel.
Right next is to roll out the final layer of roll out icing. Exactly same as above. This can stand to be a little thicker and will hide a multitude of sins, but don't get too carried away you do want some cake with your icing! Using a clean pastry brush I brush the marzipaned cake with a little brandy or rum or vodka - and I mean a little! This isn't to moisten the cake its to help the icing stick so don't go crazy please!
Now your cake is covered you can go all out and decorate as you like. I've got some Xmas tree cookie cutters which I have cut out of roll out icing in a contrasting colour and stuck around the edges of the cake - this can hide any cracks or imperfections. Or you can cover the cake with stars all over the cake, or tie a ribbon around the cake into a pretty bow (I can't tie pretty bows so I don't do this) Just go for it! whatever you fancy!
I love marzipan so I will marzipan my cake but if you don't like marzipan then just use a double layer of roll out icing.
Apricot Jam
Brandy
875g Marzipan (1kg for a square cake)
875g Roll out icing (any colour you wish) (1kg for a square cake)
Icing Sugar
Food colourings
Christmassy cutters, Stars, Holly, Xmas Trees, Gingerbread Men - what ever you fancy!
Sprinkles, edible dregees, edible silver balls, Brightly coloured ribbon! Basically whatever you fancy!
10" or 11" Cake Board
Pastry brush
Once your cake is totally cooled you can start to ice it! This is the fun part and if you are blessed with kids then its time to get the family in on this masterpiece.
In a heat proof cup or small bowl put 2 tbsp of Apricot jam and heat it in the microwave for no more than 30 seconds just so the jam becomes runny. Place your cake in the centre of the cake board you're going to be using and then using your pastry brush liberally apply all over the cake paying particular attention to the edgers and corners.
Roll out your marzipan if using or roll out icing into a large circle - not too thin it needs to be approx 0.5cm thick. Once its large enough roll it back onto the rolling pin - so its wrapped around the rolling pin. Bring the cake in front of you and the rolling pin and then carefully lift the rolling pin up and slowly unwind the marzipan so it falls over the cake completely like a blanket. Place your hand lightly on top of your cake and gently rub down so the marzipan has adhered to the apricot "glue" following your hand down one side of the cake gently ease the marzipan over the sides of the cake nice and neatly with the flat of your hands until all the cakes covered. You'll have an excess of marzipan which you can trim off with a knife.And relax! Now you can leave the cake at this stage for a little time so the marzipan can firm up and air dry slightly before covering with the icing or you can press on. I personally find it easier to leave to one side for an hour and get on with something else like cutting your decorative shapes and finishing touches. I've also left the marzipaned cake overnight covered by a tea towel.
Right next is to roll out the final layer of roll out icing. Exactly same as above. This can stand to be a little thicker and will hide a multitude of sins, but don't get too carried away you do want some cake with your icing! Using a clean pastry brush I brush the marzipaned cake with a little brandy or rum or vodka - and I mean a little! This isn't to moisten the cake its to help the icing stick so don't go crazy please!
Now your cake is covered you can go all out and decorate as you like. I've got some Xmas tree cookie cutters which I have cut out of roll out icing in a contrasting colour and stuck around the edges of the cake - this can hide any cracks or imperfections. Or you can cover the cake with stars all over the cake, or tie a ribbon around the cake into a pretty bow (I can't tie pretty bows so I don't do this) Just go for it! whatever you fancy!
No comments:
Post a Comment