TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAKE – PART 4 – Covering The Cake

TRADITIONAL BRITISH CHRISTMAS CAKE

CHRISTMAS CAKE COVERING DETAILS

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAKE

PART 4 – Covering The Cake

By Caro

Below are the details of how to cover your Traditional Christmas cakes, as appeared in the original Be-Ro recipe books. This is part of a Traditional British Christmas Cake Bake-along. For all the details, the 100 year old recipe and parts in the series, go to Traditional Christmas Cake Bake-together.

Traditionally, British Christmas cakes are first covere din marzipan, and then topped with either fondant or Royal icing.


Covering In Marzipan

  • These are from the old Be-Ro books, with details of how much you require for certain Christmas cake sizes. You either cover with a thin layer of marzipan or almond paste, and then fondant icing or Royal Icing on top. All of these will preserve the cake and make it last a long time. Note the annotations on this first photo are made by Christine’s gran because it was a well used recipe.
  • 10oz Ground Almonds = 284g = 3 level cups Almond meal
  • 8 oz Caster Sugar = 227g = 1& 1/8 cup
  • 8 oz Icing Sugar = 227g = 1 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 8 – 9″ = 20 – 23cm
  • 2lb = 32 oz = 907g = 7 1/4 cups Powdered Sugar

  • Another excerpt from the old Be-Ro books Christine has saved over the years.
  • 8 – 9″
  • 3 1/4 cups Almond Meal
  • 1 & scant 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 32 oz (8 cups) Powdered Sugar
  • Pasturised egg whites, meringue powder or even Royal icing sugar with the dried egg whites in it.
  • For a tutorial & video on how to make up Royal icing, please see my friend Tanya’s recipe here.
  • Alternatively, watch her video. Note you will need the stiffer thicker consistency for covering your cake.

An even older edition of Be-Ro, (that started in the 1920’s).

CONVERSIONS FOR CHRISTMAS CAKE COVERINGS

  • 1lb Ground Almonds = 454g = 16 oz = 5 cups Almond Meal
  • 12 oz Icing Sugar = 340g = 2 3/4 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 12 oz Caster Sugar = 340g = 1 3/4 level cups
  • 1lb Icing Sugar = 16 oz = 454g = 3 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

TIPS FOR COVERING CHRISTMAS CAKES

Excerpt from Be-Ro cookbook online

STORING CHRISTMAS CAKES

Note quantity refers to recipes above

Part 5 onwards has ideas for decorating your cakes. How to colour fondant for your Christmas Cake. For all other parts in the series, go to Traditional Christmas Cake Bake-together.

See also Part 7 -How To Cover The Christmas Cakes or my new tutorial for a Fondant Penguin Christmas Cake.


Thanks for reading

Happy Baking & Making

Happy Tummies & Memories!

Caro xx


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