Christmas Cake Icing

Tue, 22 December 2015

Catherine Leydon showed us how to make the perfect icing for your Christmas cake. 

Almond Paste

Ingredients

2 x 200g packets Shamrock Ground Almonds

200g/7oz Icing Sugar

200g/7oz Caster Sugar

2 small Eggs

Few drops Goodall’s Almond Essence

2 teaspoons Brandy, Whiskey, Sherry or Rum

To brush on cake:

Heated Apricot Jam, Rowse Honey or Golden Syrup

Method

1. Put the ground almonds, icing sugar, caster sugar into a large bowl and mix well together.
2. In a separate container, beat the eggs, almond essence and spirit of your choice.
3. Gradually stir the liquid into the dry mixture, adding sufficient to give a thick consistency.
4. Turn onto a board that is dusted with icing sugar and knead well until paste is quite pliable!

It is important that the paste is thick before you start kneading, because in kneading, oil comes from the almond causing the paste to soften and become smooth.

To apply paste to cake:

Brush cake with some heated apricot jam, honey or golden syrup. Roll out almond paste on a board dusted with icing sugar large enough to cover the entire cake. Gently ease around the cake and smooth over with palm of hands until smooth all over. Leave for two days before covering with white icing.

Above quantity will completely cover a 20cm/8” cake.

Ready Made Almond Paste

2 x 250g packets Shamrock Almond Marzipan will completely cover a 20cm/8” cake.

1 x 250g packet Shamrock Almond Marzipan sufficient for a./ just the top of the cake; b./ for the cake baked in a 2lb loaf tin or c./ a 15cm/6” round cake.

White Icing 

2 x 450g packets of Shamrock Ready to Roll Icing or

2 x 350g packets of Instant Royal Icing

Method

Follow pack instructions!

Above will completely cover a 20cm/8” cake. One packet will do top of cake or 2lb loaf tin cake or 15cm/6” round cake.

To apply icing to cake:

Brush cake with a little whiskey or brandy and apply the ready to roll as per the almond paste above. Alternatively, spread cake with the instant royal icing and use the back of a spoon to raise the icing to give a snow effect!