Fondant Icing

This recipe is from Delia's Happy Christmas.

This is for those who like a softer icing than royal icing, but prefer to have a homemade version.

The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch how to make Christmas Stollen in our cookery school video on this page.

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Decorating the Christmas Cake

Asked by: Scotkat

Can I put fondant icing straight on after marzipan or do I have to wait?

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, Many would say that you should marzipan the cake then leave it for a week before you ice it. If you were doing royal icing this is important as the oil in the nuts can seep through and stain the icing. This is more likely if you use homemade marzipan. Whenever we’ve decorated our cakes with bought natural marzipan and then fondant the same time, we’ve not had any problems. Happy Christmas, Lindsey

Method

Begin by sifting the icing sugar (all but 1 heaped tablespoon) into a large bowl and making a well in the centre.

Add the water, a teaspoonful at a time, and stir with a wooden spoon until it is too stiff to stir any more. Then, using your hands, form the icing into a ball before turning out onto a clean, smooth, dry surface dusted with the reserved icing sugar, and knead for about 3 minutes until it becomes completely smooth (if the icing is sticky, knead in a little more icing sugar, or if it is dry run a little cold water over your fingers).

Then roll out the icing onto a clean surface dusted with a mixture of icing sugar and cornflour, and keep giving it quarter turns after each roll. Once it is rolled to the right size, ice the cake as soon as possible.

If you want to make it ahead, it can be kept tightly wrapped in the fridge for 3 days (though once it is on the cake it does not need to be refrigerated).