How to ice your Christmas Cake

To ice an 8 inch round Christmas cake.

Click here for the Christmas Cake recipe 👉https://chezbeccy.com/blogs/news/christmas-cake

INGREDIENTS

1/4 jar of apricot jam
1 dessertspoon of water
454g golden marzipan
icing sugar 
500g soft white icing, ready to roll
1 tablespoon brandy or rum

METHOD

Place the apricot jam into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Then sieve into a bowl removing any lumps.

Use a pastry brush to rush the jam all over your Christmas cake. This will help the marzipan to stick to the cake.

Dust your work surface with icing sugar. Take the marzipan out of the packet and need for about a minute until it softens up and becomes smooth. Shape into a ball.

Now roll out the marzipan. Keep dusting the rolling pin and work surface so it doesn't stick. Turn the marzipan after each roll to keep it as round as possible.

When the marzipan is about 4-5mm thick, it will be large enough to cover your cake. Use the rolling pin to lift up the marzipan and place on to on the cake.

Gently smooth over the top with your hands. Then begin to gradually smooth down the sides of the cake. Keep turning the cake as you gradually smooth the marzipan down the sides. ( See video for demonstration)

When you are happy the marzipan is all the way down to the bottom take a small sharp knife. Hold it vertically against the side of the cake an cut off any excess. Us the flat side the the knife to neaten up any edges.

Now brush the marzipan with the brandy, this will help the icing to stick to the cake.

Dust your work surface with icing sugar. Take the icing out of the packet and need for about a minite until it softens up and becomes smooth. Shape into a ball.

Now roll out the icing. Keep dusting the rolling pin and work surface so it doesn't stick. Turn the icing after each roll to keep it as round as possible.

When the icing is about 4-5mm thick, it will be large enough to cover your cake. Use the rolling pin to lift up the icing and place on to on the cake.

Gently smooth over the top with your hands. Then begin to gradually smooth down the sides of the cake. Keep turning the cake as you gradually smooth the icing down the sides. ( See video for demonstration)

When you are happy the icing is all the way down to the bottom take a small sharp knife. Hold it vertically against the side of the cake an cut off any excess. Use the flat side the the knife to neaten up any edges.

If you have any creases in your icing you can use the flat side of the knife to smooth these out.

Place a ribbon around the base of the cake and or add some decorations to the top of the cake.