Christmas cakes - nearly time to make one!

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Christmas cakes - nearly time to make one!
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mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Tue Dec 16, 08 12:58 pm Post subject:

ros wrote:

... last years cake thread for ideas I think...

Sally did a fantastic green man.

Helen_A

Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 1548
Location: MK, Bucks.

Posted: Tue Dec 16, 08 2:03 pm Post subject:

jocorless wrote:

Cathryn - Ply it with booze and stick it in the freezer for a couple of days before marzipanning - Its an old bakers trick - A day in the freezer is worth a week on the side - It helps it mature up

Ooo - that is going to come in so handy...

I 'forgot' to make the cake so its the job for today... once I've summonded up the energy to clean the kitchen after DPs scone session last night first...

(and then I need to find the notebook with the recipe in

which is probably in a box somewhere... only been here 15 months...)

Helen_A

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 08 9:34 am Post subject:
Oh and another tip for those wanting to marzipan but don't have time to let it dry before icing (that will be me then! ) - brush the marzipan all over with a little vodka and leave to dry - It seals the marzipan and is supposed to stop any of the oils coming through the icing Just remembered as I've got to try and find some time to marzipan our cakes and ice them before next week

Minamoo

Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 1231

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 08 10:17 am Post subject:

Erm.....You're supposed to let the marzipan dry?? How long does that take? I'm serving one of the cakes at a Christmas/congrats on getting married/meet my OH party that I'm hosting on Saturday for people from the office. I totally forgot that the icing would need doing. I made the cakes weeks ago now. The weekend after stir up sunday that is. I also forgot to feed it. If I feed it today will I be able to marzipan it ok on Saturday? Thanks!

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 08 10:59 am Post subject:

They say that it usually takes about a week for the marzipan to dry on the surface but its for those cakes that are being kept for a while as the oils from the almonds seeps out and stains the icing - if you are serving it almost straight away - it should be fine but to be on the safe side - paint it with vodka and then blow dry it with a hairdryer on a cool setting - should only take about 10 -15 minutes - don't wet the marzipan just a light coating of vodka should do it - the alcohol evaporates off and in the process seals the cake

You should be fine giving it a quick feed now

Minamoo

Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 1231

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 08 2:40 pm Post subject:
I don't do alcohol unfortunately or I would do the vodka thing. I guess I shall just have to ice it on the day. Thanks for the info about marzipan tho. I shall be sure to marzipan the other ones in advance. I can't wait for Christmas (and the cakes!)

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 08 2:57 pm Post subject:
As I don't do Christmas cakes, I've only just noticed this. Would the answer to the original question (making a small, round cake) be to make a large one and then bore the middle out, using a suitable cylinder? Rough edges, but with icing would be sorted.

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 08 3:34 pm Post subject:
my bottle of vodka's marinating some vanilla pods, can't see that as a disadvantage though

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 08 3:43 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

As I don't do Christmas cakes, I've only just noticed this. Would the answer to the original question (making a small, round cake) be to make a large one and then bore the middle out, using a suitable cylinder? Rough edges, but with icing would be sorted.

Isn't that what I recommended? (honestly can't remember)

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 08 3:53 pm Post subject:
Very possibly. I don't know. I got half way down the first page or two, and just answered. Apologies for repetition if it is.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 08 4:02 pm Post subject:
I need to marzipan my second one tonight and ice the first, too much to do, I don't know how you lot with kids cope with getting everything done for Christmas! Def a night for being in the kitchen though, need to get the nut brittle made too, and I'm tempted to have another go at marshmallow.

thos

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 1139
Location: Jauche, Duchy of Brabant (Bourgogne-ci) and Charolles, Duchy of Burgundy (Bourgogne-ça)

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 08 8:36 am Post subject:

jocorless wrote:

Cathryn - Ply it with booze and stick it in the freezer for a couple of days before marzipanning - Its an old bakers trick - A day in the freezer is worth a week on the side - It helps it mature up

Are you supposed to put the marzipan on while the cake is frozen (won't it get too hard?) or defrost first?

BelindaC

Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Posts: 464
Location: Hertfordshire

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 08 4:16 pm Post subject:
Alternatively, an uniced cake is very good, and our current experiment suggests that it can absorb a great deal of brandy.........we'll be drinking the cake rather than eating it, at this rate.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 08 5:07 pm Post subject:
If there really is no time to do the marzipan/icing, how about topping the cake with alternate rows of glacé cherries/pecans/walnuts, etc, and then glazing with apricot jam. That looks really festive too. (Apologies if this has already been suggested on an earlier page!)

Minamoo

Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 1231

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 08 10:19 pm Post subject:

Well...........I couldn't find a recipe for Royal icing in any of my books, then when i DID find one it said the icing had to set for 24 hours and I had run out of time so I just covered it with a thickish layer of marzipan, dusted it with icing sugar and decorated it with lemon and orange zest before serving it at the dinner party I had last night. We ate only half the cake as it was one of three desserts we made but the rest of it is dissappearing alarmingly fast! I used (future) MIL's recipe and I am so so glad I did as even though I only got round to feeding it the day before with some apple juice it was super soft and really yum. Yay for Christmas cake! Can't wait to eat the other two cakes

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