Before we know it Christmas will be here and there will be plenty of little extras for live-in carers to do. One of these tasks may be to ice a Christmas cake, which may seem a trifle, but for those who have never done it, it may pose a problem.
Let’s assume that you are handed a baked cake and asked to ice it.
It is a good idea to chill the cake for at least two hours, overnight if possible. If you are placing two layers together then use warm apricot jam to sandwich them together.
The easiest way, and possibly the most reliable way to do this is to make use of store bought royal icing. If you cannot find royal icing then you should opt for fondant icing, which will work as well.
Without something between the icing and the cake, you will find that it all simply slides off and your cake is ruined. You can brush the cake with alcohol like vodka, or even use cold boiled water.
Warm apricot jam is also a good idea. If you are placing a layer of marzipan on the cake then be sure to use water to make the icing stick to it.
If the icing can be rolled out then do so, using a small amount of cornflour to stop it sticking to the counter. Place the icing over the cake and gently start to smooth. If you have a cake smoother then use it to get the icing flat. If not, use your hands to gently smooth the icing over the cake.
If you work with the icing gently you will be able to remove creases and end up with a flat surface. If you find you have trapped any air, you can remove it by pushing it down to the edge of the icing.
Using a sharp knife gently trim around the bottom edge of the cake and then press the icing onto the edges of the cake.
You can use any spare marzipan as decorative leaves and berries if you have food colouring to work with. If not, you can decorate with store bought ornaments, or even with candied fruits and nuts.
Once the cake is decorated, wrap in parchment paper and a double layer of foil and store in an airtight container until ready to eat.
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