Icing a marzipan covered cake

[MeFrancis]

This is my first time decorating a Christmas cake. I made the fruit cake a week ago, did the feeding with alcohol and today I covered the cake with Ready-rolled marzipan.
Can anyone here please let me know when I can ice the cake? Also is icing optional or is it a must? I have seen some cakes served as is with marzipan decoration etc.
Looking forward to your insights.

Theoretically it's 3 days but if you use uncoloured a day should be fine . You absolutely don't have to add icing , although the reason you marzipan a cake is to stop the cake from discolouring the icing

I do mine straight away and never have an issue at all, never have. Plus I roll the icing very thin (if using fondant) because I just don’t like thick icing.

Icing looks nice-so crisp and white but really ruins the taste. I prefer just marzipan.

I've made and decorated my Christmas cakes for years and, until I read it on here, didn't know that you aren't supposed to marzipan and ice on the same day!
Hasn't stopped me, I always have done them the same day and did do again this year...turned out beautifully.

It is just to let the marzipan dry and it leaves a sort of skin on top which helps the icing stick. I have done it both ways.
Are you using ready to roll or Royal icing? If Royal I have used the ready packs and they work, very easy and no worry about raw egg whites. You could make snow peaks or to make smooth you need an icing ruler and I dip mine in a jug of hot water, shake and use as it helps to smooth it but shake it so not wetting the icing. If you buy some snowflake cutters for fondant and some petal paste (mixed) they will stand up. I saw someone put pale blue icing with snowflakes laying on it ( no need for petal paste) which looked lovely. It looks very pretty dusted with special edible glitter or buy some figures. Good luck.

I'm doing mine with just marzipan as its mainly for someone who doesn't like icing. However in general I think if you are being really traditional with your choice of cake, then why not finish it off with the traditional icing.

Just marzipan here, frankly I'd dispense with the cake too.....

I marzipan'ed yesterday and left it uncovered to dry, will ice today.

I made marzipan and just covered the top the put a ton of g&b melted chocolate on the top, yum, much nicer than icing I think, but not as traditional looking. I just put it on one after another as short if time and it always tastes nice.

Ive used natural coloured marzipan and left it 24 hours. Also used Bacardi to make the icing stick to the marzipan.

Bacardi? I just gently heat apricot jam in water and sieve to get a fine glaze to fix the marzipan to the cake and the icing to the marzipan.

Yeah, jam on the icing would show.
Quite pleased with it.

Ooh, I didn't feed mine with brandy as the recipe says to do it at least four weeks before eating - I admit I was disappointed, I guess I can't give it a quick glug now??

Having trouble attaching images in app

I always leave it a day or so, just from habit, but really there's no need unless you are using home made marzipan, which needs to dry out.

I make fondant using a packet of fondant icing sugar and it's great, tastes much nicer (IMO) than the ready made fondant. DH says he would prefer it with neither icing nor marzipan! dd only likes the icing and the boys hate it all. Luckily I like all of it