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Christmas

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Original poster

Do bad things happen if you marzipan and ice your cake on the same day?

26 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 21/12/2017 10:06

What will happen if I just go for it, marzipan, icing, stick decorations on, all in one go? Would terrible things happen to my cake?

OP posts:
SnowBallsAreHere · 21/12/2017 10:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Renfrewshire · 21/12/2017 10:08

No I've done it all at once (I normally do as I run out of time!). It's fine.

MrsWooster · 21/12/2017 10:09

Nope. Many a year the woostercake has been thrown together carefully crafted on Christmas eve...

MagentaRocks · 21/12/2017 10:10

I’ve done it before and it’s fine but it is better to leave it at least 12 hours to give the marzipan time to set in place properly.

shoofly · 21/12/2017 10:10

The oil in the marzipan can come through onto the next layer. That's why, when I used to be very pushed for time at Christmas, I would use Royal icing and rough ice it to give snowy peaks type look. If If you're wanting to use fondant, it might help if you use a thicker layer?

ParadiseCity · 21/12/2017 10:10

Yes! Unfortunately it will taste of marzipan. Leave out the layer of evil, just ice it , and it will be delicious.

BeerBaby · 21/12/2017 10:11

No of course not! I've done it a few times and the cakes was still eaten. Even good and I'm still here to tell you about it 😁

MaverickSnoopy · 21/12/2017 10:16

First year I've made a cake and I've done both together! I always assumed my mum did it on separate days because she was so disorganised. Never occurred to me there was any other reason.

Have used royal icing and can't see marzipan through it. Will let you know how it tastes in a few days!

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 21/12/2017 10:17

Paradise, the marzipan is the best bit! Maybe I should leave out the icing!

Thanks all! I'm going to focus on the comments that confirm that my slatterness is ok and go for it. I'll compromise and wrap presents between the layers. (reading that back, not literally, that would be a surprise for my family to find gifts hidden in the cake Xmas Grin )

Today is do christmasy things day, tomorrow is clean day, saturday is buy food day.

OP posts:
ParadiseCity · 21/12/2017 10:19

You should totally make a pass the parcel cake! Presents between layers sound brill.

senua · 21/12/2017 10:21

The oil in the marzipan can come through onto the next layer.

This is what I was always told, although it may have been the instruction back in the day when we made our own marzipan and no longer applies. Who knows? Anyway, I always do a thick layer of buttercream (rather than a beautiful, smooth-surfaced royal icing) and have no problem.

goose1964 · 21/12/2017 10:23

as pp says the oil can seep out of the marzipan and leave you with yellow snow patches, it can be mediated though by using the pale marzipan rather than bright yellow

Howyoualldoworkme · 21/12/2017 10:25

Buttercream on a Christmas cake? Is this a fruit cake?

misscph1973 · 21/12/2017 10:27

It would have to be a very oily marcipan for the oil to seep through! I never wait, no problems. I would think that the marcipan would go quite hard if you waited with the icing?

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 21/12/2017 10:29

maybe I can pretend the snowmen weed goose?

marzipan on cake now. I didn't even bother with the jam bit Xmas Shock

OP posts:
laudanum · 21/12/2017 10:36

Yes. They will merge and turn into a TERRIBLE SUGAR RIDDEN HOSEBEAST.

Probably still taste okay though.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 21/12/2017 10:42
Xmas Shock
OP posts:
FELICITYFLISS · 21/12/2017 10:42

I didn't let the marzipan dry out last year, and I noticed a week or two after icing, I had yellow patches showing through the royal icing. It didn't make a difference to taste of cake though, so I'm sure you'll be fine.

bilbodog · 21/12/2017 10:47

It will be fine - ive been doing it for years. I also dont use anything to stick the marzipan or icing down - this way its easier to take it off for those that dont want the marzipan or icing.

I think it matters more if you are icing the cake weeks before christmas then the oils might have time to come through.

Fekko · 21/12/2017 10:48

I really don't like marzipan - unless it's home made. Bleugh.

MigGril · 21/12/2017 10:48

Use white marzipan and it will be fine. Never had a problem, the yellow colour comes from the egg yoke. If you make marzipan yourself it is always the lighter white colour. Therefore I never buy the yellow stuff anymore. Put a nice thick layer of royal icing on it and you'll be good to go.

Squatternutbosh123 · 21/12/2018 10:23

So you do like marzipan then fekko

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 21/12/2018 10:31

This is a zombie thread, but hilariously I was just pondering the same thing today as I was a year ago.
I seem to recall, nothing bad did happen to my cake.

OP posts:
dizzydaisies · 21/12/2018 10:51

Haha, I've done that before - wondered about something, searched on Mumsnet and found my own post from previous years asking the exact same question!

I'm in the hate marzipan camp...except for cooked marzipan that oozes out into a fruit cake. So flawed-marzipan-liking-logic, just like Fekko!

EwItsAHooman · 21/12/2018 18:13

I'm icing my Christmas cake tonight and didn't realise that you're meant to wait between doing the marzipan and the icing so I'm glad I found this thread!

Is royal icing easy to use?

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