In a rare joint venture, Team Doe are doing an iced cake. My wife is going
to make the fruit cake and I'll be decorating it. My dilema, the 2 recipes I
have : Royal Icing (sug+egg whites) and : Butter Icing (sug+butter) recipe
states "Will store up to 3 days in container in fridge".
I really need an icing which will store up to 3 weeks, any ideas for soft or
hard icing?
My wife dosen't like ground almonds, so this rules out marzipan as an
underlayer. IIRC there's a paste called Kersh or Kirsh (no luck with google)
is this paste almond free? Is there a good recipe out there on the sub
ether? TIA.

Bertie

WHY are you even considering frosting a fruit cake ?????

Bertie Doe wrote:
> In a rare joint venture, Team Doe are doing an iced cake. My wife is going
> to make the fruit cake and I'll be decorating it. My dilema, the 2 recipes I
> have : Royal Icing (sug+egg whites) and : Butter Icing (sug+butter) recipe
> states "Will store up to 3 days in container in fridge".
> I really need an icing which will store up to 3 weeks, any ideas for soft or
> hard icing?
> My wife dosen't like ground almonds, so this rules out marzipan as an
> underlayer. IIRC there's a paste called Kersh or Kirsh (no luck with google)
> is this paste almond free? Is there a good recipe out there on the sub
> ether? TIA.
>
> Bertie

Mary wrote:
> WHY are you even considering frosting a fruit cake ?????
>
> Bertie Doe wrote:
>> In a rare joint venture, Team Doe are doing an iced cake. My wife is going
>> to make the fruit cake and I'll be decorating it. My dilema, the 2 recipes I
>> have : Royal Icing (sug+egg whites) and : Butter Icing (sug+butter) recipe
>> states "Will store up to 3 days in container in fridge".
>> I really need an icing which will store up to 3 weeks, any ideas for soft or
>> hard icing?
>> My wife dosen't like ground almonds, so this rules out marzipan as an
>> underlayer. IIRC there's a paste called Kersh or Kirsh (no luck with google)
>> is this paste almond free? Is there a good recipe out there on the sub
>> ether? TIA.
>>
>> Bertie
>

Is it a Christmass cake?
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney
<www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont>
(Remove teeth to reply)
"Some days you are the pigeon. Some days you are the statue"

Fruitcakes or Chrimas cakes in the UK are often wrapped in marzipan and
then frosted. It's rarely done in the US.

Oh pshaw, on Wed 29 Nov 2006 04:06:17p, Mary meant to say...

> WHY are you even considering frosting a fruit cake ?????
>
> Bertie Doe wrote:
>> In a rare joint venture, Team Doe are doing an iced cake. My wife is
>> going to make the fruit cake and I'll be decorating it. My dilema, the
>> 2 recipes I have : Royal Icing (sug+egg whites) and : Butter Icing
>> (sug+butter) recipe states "Will store up to 3 days in container in
>> fridge". I really need an icing which will store up to 3 weeks, any
>> ideas for soft or hard icing?
>> My wife dosen't like ground almonds, so this rules out marzipan as an
>> underlayer. IIRC there's a paste called Kersh or Kirsh (no luck with
>> google) is this paste almond free? Is there a good recipe out there on
>> the sub ether? TIA.
>>
>> Bertie
>

--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

All it takes to write a trilogy is complete
ignorance of life and art.

"Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
28.19...
>
> Fruitcakes or Chrimas cakes in the UK are often wrapped in marzipan and
> then frosted. It's rarely done in the US.
>
> Oh pshaw, on Wed 29 Nov 2006 04:06:17p, Mary meant to say...
>
>> WHY are you even considering frosting a fruit cake ?????

Thanks Wayne, I didn't realise it was a uk thing. Can I assume that wedding
cakes in the US are sponge with frosting? I guess this rules out 3 tier
w/cakes? as I assume sponge wouldn't take the weight.
Newsgroup Uk.food+drink seems to be pitched more toward restaurant food, but
I think I'll repost it there. Thanks anyway.

Bertie

Oh pshaw, on Thu 30 Nov 2006 05:32:55a, Bertie Doe meant to say...

>
> "Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
> 28.19...
>>
>> Fruitcakes or Chrimas cakes in the UK are often wrapped in marzipan and
>> then frosted. It's rarely done in the US.
>>
>> Oh pshaw, on Wed 29 Nov 2006 04:06:17p, Mary meant to say...
>>
>>> WHY are you even considering frosting a fruit cake ?????
>
> Thanks Wayne, I didn't realise it was a uk thing. Can I assume that
> wedding cakes in the US are sponge with frosting? I guess this rules out
> 3 tier w/cakes? as I assume sponge wouldn't take the weight.
> Newsgroup Uk.food+drink seems to be pitched more toward restaurant food,
> but I think I'll repost it there. Thanks anyway.

You're welcome... Most US wedding cakes I've seen are some form of butter
cake, and it seems that people are ordering many variations in
flavors/types. Most are tiered cakes.



--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

Procrastination Day Has Been Postponed!

In article 9>, Wayne
Boatwright <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> says...
> Oh pshaw, on Thu 30 Nov 2006 05:32:55a, Bertie Doe meant to say...
>
> >
> > "Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
> > 28.19...
> >>
> >> Fruitcakes or Chrimas cakes in the UK are often wrapped in marzipan and
> >> then frosted. It's rarely done in the US.
> >>
> >> Oh pshaw, on Wed 29 Nov 2006 04:06:17p, Mary meant to say...
> >>
> >>> WHY are you even considering frosting a fruit cake ?????
> >
> > Thanks Wayne, I didn't realise it was a uk thing. Can I assume that
> > wedding cakes in the US are sponge with frosting? I guess this rules out
> > 3 tier w/cakes? as I assume sponge wouldn't take the weight.
> > Newsgroup Uk.food+drink seems to be pitched more toward restaurant food,
> > but I think I'll repost it there. Thanks anyway.
>
> You're welcome... Most US wedding cakes I've seen are some form of butter
> cake, and it seems that people are ordering many variations in
> flavors/types. Most are tiered cakes.
>
>
>
>
Could you try a fondant instead of marzipan? I've never made one, so I
can't offer a recipe, but the textures seem similar and I believe
fondant keeps well (although perhaps not three weeks).

Just a thought--perhaps a more experienced baker could offer an opinion
on whether this would work. Good luck!

Oh pshaw, on Thu 30 Nov 2006 03:08:50p, Chari meant to say...

> In article 9>, Wayne
> Boatwright <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> says...
>> Oh pshaw, on Thu 30 Nov 2006 05:32:55a, Bertie Doe meant to say...
>>
>> >
>> > "Wayne Boatwright" <wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com> wrote in message
>> > 28.19...
>> >>
>> >> Fruitcakes or Chrimas cakes in the UK are often wrapped in marzipan
>> >> and then frosted. It's rarely done in the US.
>> >>
>> >> Oh pshaw, on Wed 29 Nov 2006 04:06:17p, Mary meant to say...
>> >>
>> >>> WHY are you even considering frosting a fruit cake ?????
>> >
>> > Thanks Wayne, I didn't realise it was a uk thing. Can I assume that
>> > wedding cakes in the US are sponge with frosting? I guess this rules
>> > out 3 tier w/cakes? as I assume sponge wouldn't take the weight.
>> > Newsgroup Uk.food+drink seems to be pitched more toward restaurant
>> > food, but I think I'll repost it there. Thanks anyway.
>>
>> You're welcome... Most US wedding cakes I've seen are some form of
>> butter cake, and it seems that people are ordering many variations in
>> flavors/types. Most are tiered cakes.
>>
>>
>>
>>
> Could you try a fondant instead of marzipan? I've never made one, so I
> can't offer a recipe, but the textures seem similar and I believe
> fondant keeps well (although perhaps not three weeks).
>
> Just a thought--perhaps a more experienced baker could offer an opinion
> on whether this would work. Good luck!
>
>

Yes, a rolled fondatant is a good choice to enclose the cake.

--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

Procrastination Day Has Been Postponed!

Bertie Doe wrote:
> In a rare joint venture, Team Doe are doing an iced cake. My wife is going
> to make the fruit cake and I'll be decorating it. My dilema, the 2 recipes I
> have : Royal Icing (sug+egg whites) and : Butter Icing (sug+butter) recipe
> states "Will store up to 3 days in container in fridge".
> I really need an icing which will store up to 3 weeks, any ideas for soft or
> hard icing?
> My wife dosen't like ground almonds, so this rules out marzipan as an
> underlayer. IIRC there's a paste called Kersh or Kirsh (no luck with google)
> is this paste almond free? Is there a good recipe out there on the sub
> ether? TIA.
>
> Bertie
I would think fondant would work well- it would seal it to keep air
out. Butter based icing would be rancid by then. You could make your
own fondant and flavor it with whatever floats your boat.

Thanks Chari, Wayne and Merryb for the heads up on fondant, with a few drops
of vanilla will do the trick. I've found out that Royal Icing/frosting (egg
whites and sug) will keep for weeks. Add a tsp of glycerine will stop it
setting like concrete. Where would we be without newsgroups. Thanks again.
Bertie

Update : my wife decided that it would be less hassle to buy a shopmade
marzipan. The cake is covered with both m/pan and royal icing. Half tsp of
glycerine to 1lb of icing sug and 3 egg whites, have given a nice softish
finish. Although it will harden a bit over the next month. I know you are
supposed to wait a week between the two layers, to stop the yellow leetching
thru' - bur can't wait.
Taste changes over time and possibly, my wife's childhood dislike for
marzipan may have altered. If she now likes the taste, I will use homemade
m/pan on the next project:-
Batenburg cake, but with the m/pan outer layer, covered in quarter inch of
choc frosting.
Question is : what proportion of chocolate to icing sugar, will give a
texture that's not too hard or brittle and will I need to add half tsp
glycerine, as per yesterday's royal icing? TIA
Bertie

Bertie Doe wrote:
> Update : my wife decided that it would be less hassle to buy a shopmade
> marzipan. The cake is covered with both m/pan and royal icing. Half tsp of
> glycerine to 1lb of icing sug and 3 egg whites, have given a nice softish
> finish. Although it will harden a bit over the next month. I know you are
> supposed to wait a week between the two layers, to stop the yellow leetching
> thru' - bur can't wait.
> Taste changes over time and possibly, my wife's childhood dislike for
> marzipan may have altered. If she now likes the taste, I will use homemade
> m/pan on the next project:-
> Batenburg cake, but with the m/pan outer layer, covered in quarter inch of
> choc frosting.
> Question is : what proportion of chocolate to icing sugar, will give a
> texture that's not too hard or brittle and will I need to add half tsp
> glycerine, as per yesterday's royal icing? TIA
> Bertie
>
>

Delia Smith (UK celebrity chef) has handy info
<http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/royal-icing,1040,RC.html>
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney
<www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont>
(Remove teeth to reply)
"Some days you are the pigeon. Some days you are the statue"