HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Hope you all had a lovely New Years Eve?

I made a traditional Christmas cake in \\college fruit cake, marzipan and 2 layers of Royal Icing. After I decorated it I decided to give it to my Mum who loves Christmas cake...

Problem was...

She nearly broke her teeth.... She said that the Icing was harder than rock!!! I was so gutted she had to 'try' and take the icing off to eat the cake... Is this right?? My tutor made the icing so I would have imagined that it was all right...

So my question is:

Is Royal icing meant to break your teeth? lol

I was so disapointed as the cake looked amazing!

Love and best wishes for the New Year

Sarah xxxx

royal icing is that hard. My understanding is when using it to cover a cake you need to add glycerin to the icing to help keep it soft. I'm sure one of the gals in the UK can jump in here with amounts, because in the US royal isn't used to cover a cake with

Sorry that happened to you. But, yes, Royal is like cement. I use it to put my gingerbread houses together and they adhere in literally a minute or so. Not a pleasant "icing." I believe it is used for intricate lace work and special projects. Just chalk it up to experience and know that your cake was beautiful.

Yes - as the previous poster stated, add glycerin to your RI and it will keep the inside softer; the outside of the RI cake will still develop a crust but the glycerin helps in the cutting and eating. I've only done one cake in RI and doubt if I will ever do it again! It is so much work and so much waiting time between coats:

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1266580

But I did really like how smoothly it goes on the cake and the coating is so thin it doesn't add as much sweetness as American BC. Add about 1 tsp. glycerin per lb. of powdered sugar. Also add it during the last few minutes of mixing your RI.

Adding glycerin to RI also helps add stretch to your RI when doing stringwork. Just don't use it for floodwork, lace points, etc... The finished piece will break very easily when you do.

i use the silverspoon mix, you just add water, in the uk. i used it on sponge for christmas, and it was still soft a week later. with that mix, it might be just down to how much water you use, plus i didnt have it at the proper stiff peak stage.
xx

I can sympathize! I have exactly the same problem with RI. It does taste much nicer than fondant but cutting it can definitely be a health hazard. I'm afraid I don't have any further tips than adding the glycerine. I sometimes wonder whether having the right knife helps in the cutting too...

its not silverspoon, its a tate and lyle mix!
xx