What is the best icing for a Christmas cake! Not too keen on fondant.anyone have a good butter icing recipe suitable for Christmas cakes!
sclaredy_cat,
Dec 11, 11:17pm
White chocolate ganache is amazing on fruit cake - just saying ;)
jenni100,
Dec 12, 12:29am
My icing recipe is 175g butter, 500g icing sugar, 3Tbsp brandy, 2 tsp vanilla essence.Cream butter and sugar, add brandy and vanilla.Simple as that, its really good, this is enough for two 8 inch square cakes.I don't use vanilla coz I don't like it much.
245sam,
Dec 12, 1:32am
meynells, I absolutely recommend the icing as posted by jenni100, including the vanilla essence - I have the recipe in two of my Edmond's books where it is known as Butter Icing for Christmas Cake. The recipe states that it "will keep" and I assure you that it does indeed keep.Once we had a piece of cake that was left after almost a whole year and both cake and icing were good as, except that a small part of the icingwas discoloured from where it did not have almond paste between it and the cake.:-))
carolyn20,
Dec 12, 1:55am
I usually put nuts on my cake but this year I'm doing icing for the first time, so good to see this thread. This butter icing sounds more appetising then what I see in the supermarketbut would it have to go in the fridge!We're taking it on holiday and travelling around a bit so worried about heat getting to it.I'm be doing an almond icing underneath also.
nfh1,
Dec 12, 2:04am
Does butter icing set hard or just remain sticky!
I always put marzipan on and then royal icing over that.
245sam,
Dec 12, 2:14am
carolyn20, I have never kept a Christmas Cake in the refrigerator - I always keep the uniced, then iced cake in the coolest room of the house, away from the sun.As for when you're travelling, how about using a chilly bin or cooler bag for keeping the container with the iced cake in it!
nfh1, I have always found that the icing firms up but doesn't actually "set hard" - the cooler it is kept, obviously the firmer the icing will be however I don't think that the icing would actually be "hard" even if refrigerated.IMO the icing is never "sticky" however I do recommend not trying to ice the cake on a really hot or very warm day.
Hope that helps.:-))
carolyn20,
Dec 12, 2:24am
Thanks 245sam, I'll give it a go and like you say pop it in the chilly when on the road.
nfh1,
Dec 12, 2:27am
Thanks 245sam, I wondered if it may be an alternative to Royal Icing but think I will stick to that.I have had Christmas cake at functions with soft icing on, but it always seems to be tacky, but that could be because of the heat I suppose.
maximus44,
Dec 12, 6:35pm
I use a mix of icing sugar, melted butter and vanilla. No set quantities - depends on the size of the cake and how buttery you want your icing.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.