Bugger I've left it late

[cheshirecatssmile]

Google has let me down

I've marzipan my cakes. It's dry and set. I'm using ready made fondant icing.
How soon can I decorate, I have other fondant decorations and edible glue.
Getting myself in a twist as I have 3 cakes to do.
One cake is a gift so want to get it right

We do ours all the same time- marzipan, ice then decorate. I didn’t know you have to wait and it’s never been an issue here.

If you need to you could decorate the marzipan with nuts and glacé fruit then glaze with apricot jam. Expensive though! How long does google say to leave it?

3-5 day

That's what I've done in the past

Next issue
It's that bloody cold the icing is like a brick
Google says microwave for 5 seconds??

i used ready made icing recently, stood it on the draining board for ten minutes before using it as that gets warm when the dishwashers on a hot wash. Do you have an airing cupboard/top of tumble dryer it could go on for a little while to soften up?

Eek don't microwave the icing! Run your hands under hot water to heat them, dry them off and knead the icing til it flexes, it won't take long.

I leave marzipan for 2-3 hours, I make at least 5 a year and have had an issue! Can't believe it says 3 days😅

• never had an issue!

Well either way , rolling out the stuff will warm me up and will have fabulous biceps 💪🏻
Will report back

It will be fine.

Do the gift cake last of the three and it will have the benefit of more time and you’ll have perfected your technique!

Kneading the icing is best, and give it a bit of time to get really soft for best results. But pinch out the irredeemably hard bits.

Boiler 🤷🏻‍♀️

I did mine yesterday. Bought ready roll icing in white red and green, it took no time. Left the icing on the radiator for a bit to warm up.

Pics. Basic but ok.

Their fab!

I've got 1 round cake in white with sugar decorations
And 2 Christmas tree shaped cakes that will be green.

Brew then wish me luck

We always marzipan and ice at the same time.

Icing always feels like a hard block but after a few seconds rolling it suddenly 'gives' and goes much softer. It's never as a hard a job as I think it's going to be.

Microwaving the icing for a few secs will be fine and then lots of kneading.
You can cover them all now and they will last no problem 😊

Lovely,the mistletoe cake is very classy!

I haven't marzipaned mine yet, still need to buy apricot jam today as forgot it yesterday. I'll ice Friday

Make sure you show us!

Thank you. It took literally minutes!

I forgot the apricot jam as well so used vodka. Did the trick and the cake was moist and sticky anyway
It's a vodka and cranberry cake.

That was one of the cakes yesterday. So you can see the task ahead.
Never again.

You could always go old-school, and do the old ‘peak royal icing with a knife’ trick? With a bit of green food colouring.

Never made a Christmas cake myself but my late DM/MIL always iced the cake right after applying the marzipan.

Hope your cakes turn out well.

@DuncanBiscuits your cakes look brilliant . Put pictures up of yours @cheshirecatssmile when they are done .

I thought the only time you needed to let the marzipan dry out a bit is if you are using royal icing. And that was only so the colouring from the marzipan didn't leach out and give the icing a yellowish tinge. You probably don't even need to do that these day, as they don't make such bright yellow marzipan any more.