fI guess this question is more based at the british folk as from what I understand its a more british thing? but generally to anyone who likes fruit cake wherever you may be from...

Its my sons christmas fayre at the end of the month and they are taking donations nearer the time for a cake stall. I decided to decorate a cake for either cake stall or a raffle prize or whatever. Anyway, with it being christmas I wanted to make a christmas cake, plus it means I can bake and decorate it in advance without having to rush because I have a few other cakes on in the period. I'm just wondering what I can cover it with? I wanted to use fondant because I wanted to make something like this:

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2153180

but the last (and first) time I made a christmas cake and covered it in marzipan and then fondant using jam it highlighted all the bumps and didnt look very pretty! Would I just need to use a thick layer of fondant to not highlight any bumps? Or should I just use royal icing?


Any help would be really appreciated thanks

Usually if you are going to use fondant to cover a christmas cake you can roll out a thick layer of marzipan or almond paste to cover the cake. Use a thinned apricot jam to brush on cake then apply layer of marzipan/almond paste. Get it to stick but don't rub too much. You then can roll a medium /thick layer of fondant and put it over cake.

Or instead of marzipan make a spackle of cake crumbs, jam and some frosting to a thickness that you can put on and smooth out with a knife. Get it even and smooth ( maybe pat it down with paper towels and then let it harden on cake after you smooth it out, cover with thick fondant. ( This idea is from Toba Garrett).

I think you are right about using thick layers of fondant so bumps don't show.

hope this helps

Sugarpaste aka Rolled fondant is one of the traditional covering for fruitcake.

Notes:

No matter how thick the marzipan or sugarpaste is, any lumps or bumps will show on the completed product.

The top of a fuitcake is never the "top" of the completed product. Turn it over. The bottom of the fruitcake is the "top" that is covered. The cake should not have domed - fruitcake is not supposed to rise much - so the top should be stable.

Place the inverted cake on a sturdy cakeboard. The cake surface should be even and relatively "smooth". If not, use pieces of well kneaded marzipan or sugar paste to "putty" any divots or depressions in the surface .. Any small gaps around the bottom is filled with small "sausages" of sugarpaste pushed under to make the sides level to the board.

You do not "spackle" the cake with cakes crumbs mushed in frosting .. no way ..

If you do not like marzipan, use two layers of sugarpaste. Use apricot jam glaze to stick the undercoat to the cake: then use it again to stick the sugarpaste to the marzipan.

You can just use royal icing. But, still the cake has to be perfect underneath, or any blemish will show through.

{similar topic.. http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-734933-.html}

Have a look at this for general pointers ..

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/286336/Video-recipe--How-to-decorate-a-Christmas-cake

I agree with Auzzie. Flip your cake so the top is the bottom and you have a perfectly smooth top to ice. I use almond fondant to fill any holes/indents & imperfections and do the sausage technique for the bottom too - this also helps to stablise it and level the cake if it's slightly lopsided. One tip - make sure your don't overfill your holes, it's very easy to turn a molehill into mountain!!

I then cover the cake in a thin brush of hot jam and then the almond fondant. Smooth this over and my Mum taught me to leave this for a day to harden .... I'm not that patient! I then use damp hands and wet the fondant and cover with a layer of white fondant and then smooth that.

Perfection! good luck.

Thanks so much guys, I can't believe I didn't even think of turning it over! I always do that with my top layer of sponge cakes! Silly me hope I can get it looking smooth!