I'm attempting to make my daughters birthday cake for her party tomorrow. I'm pretty good at making the actual cake but my problem is getting the icing right.

This year, I'm using a simple cake "picture" that you place on top of the iced cake which makes an easy but attractive cake ( well it would if I were not the chef).

I have no idea how to make the icing thick enough that it doesn't run everywhere but liquid enough that I don't rip the cake to pieces whilst spreading. Any tips other than to let the cake cool completely and add a little water at a time? What sort of icing would be best? I thought Royal Icing but it seems tricky so planned to make simple water and icing sugar combo....will this work?

I'm scared of fluffing it now that the actual cake has turned out perfectly

Sorry Mimi, I have no experience with water- based icings, I tend to make buttercream or else cream cheese frostings. With these, if they are seeming a bit stiff to spread, you usually would add a tad more milk (maybe tablespoon at a time) until it is the right consistency for what you'd like to do.

I am not sure but think that simple sugar and water is usually used to glaze rather than frost - tasty but not easy to decorate perhaps.

Good luck!

No one uses Royal Icing anymore, it's impossible to work with. Use sugar paste and make sure the cake's dead cold before you start.

Buttercream sprung immediately to my mind too Mimi. Or, dash out to Pfauen and get the ready to roll fondant icing (it is Dr Oetker .. I think they call it Regal Ice). If you get it in white you can add a few drops of (mmhh lets say red) food colouring and get a nice (pink) coloured icing for MiniMimi to enjoy.

Its best to stick the fondant to the cake by using some gently heated (seived if it has lumps) apricot jam.

Things (like pictures etc) will easily stick to that sort of icing if you use tepid water as a type of glue. But just a very little.

Have a great party MiniMimi!

Buttercream is normally my icing of choice but the pic thing clearly says that butter should not be used

I see a quick dash to the shops is on the cards!

Thanks everyone......I have a funny feeling I will still end up with a pile of goo

Pics will be posted regardless to either highlight my incompetence or to celebrate a rare baking success

No, you're good at this sort of stuff and the regal ice thing is practically fool proof. I think you will make it look rather special!

Oh and if Pfauen are out of it, don't panic, try Coop City Marktplatz and Globus too.

Or this, Mimi:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/white-c...ii/detail.aspx

or
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/wedding...ng/detail.aspx

For the shortening, you can use margarine.

Good luck!

Plenty of experts on here, you don't need me

Buttercream recipe (metric):
500g icing sugar
250g butter
2-3 tsp milk or water or lemon juice

Sieve the icing sugar first, then add the butter and mix, first low speed, then high speed. Don't over-mix.


Of course, I have to disagree: royal icing is not impossible to work with and can be lots of fun. In this case, however, I wouldn't recommend covering the whole cake with royal icing.

Sugarpaste is good too. Here's a tutorial on how to cover a cake (fully cooled as Eco said):



I recommend using paste colours in sugarpaste as liquids tend to make the icing sticky.

Have a great party!

Use this frosting for just about any cake. This recipe will make enough to frost 2 layers.
Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in the top of a double boiler over boiling water. Beat with electric mixer for about 7 minutes, or until mixture will stand in stiff peaks. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

This receipe is delicious and will become stiff as it sets, easy to spread over the cake too!

According to a friend who often frosts her cakes, margarine is great for the icing as it gives a better texture than butter.

That video was ace. This non-domestic Goddess has recently discovered baking and had bought some of that ready-to-go Dr Oetker icing but chickened out using it and just whizzed up some butter icing (with a couple spoonfuls of fresh squeezed orange juice) which was very tasty and easy to stick on some pre-made sugar stars. I'm now thinking I might just go for it with the packet icing. Can I do the apricot jam, marzipan layer and fondant on top of a Victoria sponge? I'm wondering if the cake might just be too soft to cope with all that, but we do love our sponge cake recipe a lot?

should I just be brave and go for it? (can't believe a cake is scaring me, glad my mates don't read this)

do you have to always cover the cake with marzipan first, and then the sugar paste? That would make a very, very sweet topping!

I normally, use Chocolate Ganache, ( 300gr choc with 200ml fresh cream, melted and cooled, it get very stiff when cooled)
If you want make an easy fondant, Marshmallow fondant,
White marshmallows - melt in Microwave, and then slowly add sifted powder sugar, until you have a dough. Mix with a wooden spoon which is greased with butter, grease your hands with butter when you knead the fondant. you can use it immediately.

good luck!

I forgot, refrigerate the cake after the ganache is on, so that it sets hard, otherwise you get a bumpy finish

No - though this is traditional on a fruitcake.

I usually just crumbcoat with.... buttercream or apricot jam as mentioned above (for fruity, carrot, lemon cakes)? I've improvised with Nutella before too

Leave out the marzipan for the Victoria sponge. You'll have to watch the filling if you use fresh cream, make sure it's not spread right out to the edges as it could make the sugarpaste slowly dissolve. I've done 1/2 whipped cream and 1/2 mascarpone before as I find this holds up better.

Yes, be brave - it's just cake and you can eat it!

You could always frost your cake in buttercream or ganache and put the picture on just before serving? This way it wont have a chance to degrade and you get a cake thats a lot more delicious than using rolled fondant

Ok, listened to ecb and got the pre made stuff from Pfauen. It looks ok but a bit bumpy as the only jam we had was a bit "chunky".

It will do though and is much better than my normal cakes!

Thanks to all and I promise to post pics on Monday when I'm back in the office and not on the iPad.

Oooohhh, I had that problem with the bumpiness from blobby jam too

Yes that happened to me too the first I used it, so from then on, I got into sieving the jam first (or better still the cheaper the jam, the less bits it generally has in it .. )

Can't wait for the photos Mimi and hope you didn't regret choosing the fondant route in light of all the scrumptious butter cream and cream cheese recipes that have appeared (oh and that chocolate genache .. going to give that one a try)

I've been out all day, but if you're still stuck for a frosting that's easier than the buttercream, but that has a similar texture I'm a fan of old fashioned boiled icing. Sounds kooky but it's easy and you should have everything you need on hand. Good luck with it and don't worry how it looks too much as those kids eat it up so fast that they don't even see it half the time. If it tastes good, it's a win.

===============
Old Fashioned Boiled Milk Chocolate Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk (see note)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 24 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks), cut into 24 pieces
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled


METHOD:

1. COOK MILK BASE Combine sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt, and cocoa powder in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Pour mixture through fine-mesh strainer into medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture boils and is very thick, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer milk mixture to clean bowl and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

2. MAKE FROSTING With stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat cooled milk mixture and vanilla on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in chocolate. Let sit at room temperature until stiff, about 1 hour.

3. MAKE AHEAD Frosting can be refrigerated in airtight container for 1 week. When ready to use, let stand at room temperature until softened, about 2 hours. Beat with stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

SOURCE: Cook's Country