Kevin Dundon on decorating your Christmas cake
Christmas cake
The chef shares his tips for decorating your Christmas cake!
Ingredients
1 x 8 inch Christmas Cake
4 tbsp marmalade or apricot jam
150g marzipan Almond paste
3 egg whites
600g icing sugar
1 tsp liquid glucose
1 tsp lemon juice
Decorating Christmas pieces
Method
Ideally, until about 2-3 week before Christmas, decorate the cake.
If you prefer a soft icing wait until two to three days maximum before eating the cake. This will keep the icing softer.
Warm some apricot glazer or marmalade in a small saucepan.
Brush a layer of marmalade. Keep aside.
Then roll with some icing sugar the marzipan to a 5 mm thick. Cut a circle to fit the top of the cake and place over the cake.
Prepare the royal icing. Whip the egg white until light and foamy, slowly continue to beat the egg with a tablespoon of icing sugar at the time, until all the sugar is added and well combined. Add the lemon juice and glycerine. And continue to beat until very stiff.
The glycerine will help the icing stay softer when settling for a few days. Beat well until light and fluffy with a smooth shinny glow.
Then, spoon and spike the royal icing over the marzipan.
Decorate with classic Christmas decoration and wrap around the side of the cake with a Christmas Ruban and some twine.
Leave to settle for a day minimum before enjoy and slicing.
