Friday 13 June 2014

Top Tips For Using Marzipan On Your Wedding Cake.

If you’re making a wedding cake you’ll want it to be picture perfect and the best way to ensure a beautifully smooth finish is to use a layer of marzipan.  Not only will a marzipan layer ensure your icing and decorations look wonderful it will also help trap the moisture in the cake so that it’s mouth-wateringly delicious for that first slice.


Renshaw and Juliet Sear show you how to marzipan your cake successfully.

1.  To make sure your marzipan adheres to the cake you’ll need to use some apricot jam as glue.  How much you’ll need will depend on the size of the cake but start off with a couple of tablespoons with a touch of water added to thin the end product.  Bring it to the boil and strain through a sieve to remove any large lumps.

2.  If your cake is slightly domed cut it away to give you a nice flat top. If you notice any large pits or dips in the surface you can take some marzipan and work it into these like putty. The end result should give you an even surface on which to work.

3.  Using a brush or palette knife cover the cake in a thin layer of cooled apricot jam.


4.  Now it’s time to get the marzipan ready. Before you begin give your work surface a liberal dusting of icing sugar.  Then knead your marzipan in your hands to get it pliable then begin to roll it out.  Make sure you take your time here – the aim is to get the marzipan a uniform thickness and without tears and cracks.  Aim for a depth of 2-3mm.

5.  To transfer the marzipan onto the cake take your rolling pin and carefully fold the marzipan over it.  Lift the rolling pin up and if you need to you can support the draped marzipan with a forearm.  Then slowly roll the marzipan out over the top of the cake.

6. Take this next step easy because if you rush you could tear the marzipan. Smooth the marzipan down using your hands and work out any kinks or bubbles.

7.  Once the marzipan is securely in place you can trim away the excess using a sharp knife.

8.  The final stage is to take a pair of cake smoothers and buff the marzipan.  This will give you a lovely polished finish.


Now you’ve got the cake perfectly covered in marzipan wrap it securely in foil and place in a cool, dark cupboard away from strong odours to allow the marzipan to set.

It probably looks good enough to eat right now, but a beautiful wedding cake needs icing and decorations.  Using marzipan (http://www.renshawbaking.com/gb/marzipan) on your wedding cake means that however you choose to decorate it you’ll have a wonderful base to build on.

*  Guest post courtesy of Renshaw *

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