Traditional Christmas Cake Marzipan and Royal Icing
Learn how to cover an 8-inch Christmas cake with marzipan and homemade royal icing, then create traditional snowy peaks ready for your favourite Christmas decorations.
Servings: 1 decorated 8-inch (20cm) Christmas cake
Equipment
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Pastry brush
- 1 Small pan
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Palette knife or table knife
- 1 Cake board or plate
Ingredients
For the marzipan
- 500 g ready to roll marzipan
- 1 tbsp apricot jam aprox
- Icing sugar for dusting, as needed
For the Icing
- 600 g Icing sugar sifted
- 3 egg whites
- 1 tsp lemon juice add as needed
Instructions
Marzipan the Christmas Cake
- Place your Christmas cake on a cake board or sturdy plate.
- Gently warm about 1 tablespoon of apricot jam in a small saucepan until it is easy to spread. Brush a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake.
- Knead the marzipan until pliable. Dust your work surface with a little icing sugar and roll the marzipan into a circle large enough to cover the top and sides of the cake.
- Carefully lift the marzipan over the cake. Smooth it over the top and down the sides, then trim away any excess.
- Ideally, leave the marzipan to dry for 24 to 48 hours before adding the royal icing. If you're short of time, you can ice the cake on the same day.
Make the Royal Icing
- Sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl.
- Gradually add the three egg whites, stirring gently with a spoon until they are incorporated into the icing sugar.
- Add the lemon juice a little at a time, using up to 1 teaspoon, and continue mixing until the icing is smooth.
- Check the consistency. The royal icing should be thick and spreadable, holding its shape when you lift the spoon. If it is too runny, add a little more sifted icing sugar. If it is too stiff, add a few drops of water.
Ice and Decorate the Christmas Cake
- Spoon the royal icing onto the marzipan-covered Christmas cake. Spread it across the top and down the sides using a palette knife or table knife.
- Use the back of a spoon or knife to create little peaks and swirls on top of the cake, giving it a snowy appearance.
- If the icing is too soft to hold its peaks, leave it to firm up slightly before shaping it, but don't wait until it has completely hardened.
- Once the icing is firm enough to support the decorations but still soft enough to press into, arrange your Christmas decorations on top.
- Leave the royal icing to harden completely. You can loosely drape cling film over the cake, keeping it clear of the icing and decorations.
- Once hardened, store the cake on its board under a cake cover, or in a suitably sized cake tin until Christmas.
Notes
Marzipan: Ideally, allow the marzipan to dry for 24–48 hours before icing, although you can decorate the cake on the same day if necessary.
Royal icing: Keep the icing thick enough to hold snowy peaks. If it is too runny, allow it to firm up slightly before shaping.
Storage: Once the icing has hardened, keep the cake under a cake cover or in a suitably sized tin. A piece of baking parchment underneath makes it easier to lift out.
For royal icing made with raw egg whites, use British Lion-stamped eggs or pasteurised egg whites.