Now I've made my first ever Christmas cake, I'd like your advice on which sort of icing to use - Fondant or Royal. Just reading about them, I think Royal sounds more complicated. What do you think? I've bought my marzipan and icing sugar ready to do it in a few weeks time.
Royal - it's not that hard and if you have a good palette knife and one of those icing bags and nozzles, it makes the shaping of the icing easier if you wish to decorate....
Ok - here's the plan. Buy a packet of fondant and a packet of marzipan and give those to the OH. You sit down with the cake, unadorned, and enjoy it with a nice lump of mature cheddar or Lincolnshire Poacher cheese. Heaven! And with the time you've saved you can treat yourself to some "me" time.
Both I think, but the cake is for ALL of us (9 people) on Christmas day. Mammar, sorry, when I say I hate icing, I just mean eating it. I'll enjoy the actual icing of the cake I'm sure. I merely wanted to know which, as a beginner, would be preferable. I'm always happy to "have a go" but thought that if the Royal icing was REALLY difficult then fondant would be the way to go. Is the gelatin and glycerine thing VERY difficult?
That looks interesting Woof.
Murraymints - ooh no I definitely want to make it myself. I've always bought a cake, but as I've done a home made one I'd like to see the whole process through!
horseshoes, i think if you want a white icing, you can do the same thing but use something like trex in it (white vegetable fat) not sure what it would do to the flavour.....
I've done both it depends on preference. Fondant is easier to roll out and smooth on top of the cake (best to buy methinks - though I have made my own), royal icing has to have glycerine in it too so it isn't as hard as rock... Spreading it on and as someone said, making peaks is ideal, like a snow scene and just add some bought decorations to make it even easier. Hope you tell us which you choose.
woofgang...yes that's how I do mine but also lemon juice and a titch of glycerine so it doesn't set rock hard. I recall doing one without some years ago and poor ancient dad couldn't even cut it let alone eat the royal icing LOL...didn't make that mistook again <smile>