Cake decorating marzipan

Cake decorating with marzipan is a great way to add textured designs to a cake. Marzipan, a combination of sugar, almond and syrup, is one of the original edible toppings for cake. This sweet substance can be molded, much like clay can be. This makes marzipan excellent for use in baking.

When you are cake decorating with marzipan, there are several things that you will need to keep in mind. First, you must make certain that those who are to have the cake are not allergic to nuts. Many people do not think about nut allergies when working with marzipan, as the consistency and texture bears little resemblance to almond paste. If you are uncertain of whether or not you have to avoid nut allergies, it is best to err on the side of caution and use something other than marzipan.

There are several common uses of marzipan when cake decorating. The most common application is a thin layer of marzipan between the cake and the icing. This is done to add a slight almond flavor to a cake without adding too much sweetness. Another extremely common technique done when cake decorating with marzipan is to add shapes to the cake. Marzipan is extremely good at adding risen shapes to the surface of the cake due to the clay-like properties of the substance. When mixed with fondant, marzipan becomes even more flexible, allowing for more detail to be done on the shapes. Many of the cakes that use raised surfaces, like football cakes, will use a significant amount of marzipan.

When cake decorating with marzipan, you will often make more marzipan than you can use. This is extremely convenient, as this will give you enough marzipan to practice making shapes with for future decorating projects. As marzipan is very versatile, you can practice with a small amount of it many times before it loses its ability to be molded into the shape that you desire. This allows you to only waste a small amount of marzipan to practicing.

There are some supplies that you will want to invest in when cake decorating with marzipan. First, you will want a small, broad bladed knife or spatula. This will allow you to smooth the marzipan you are working with. In addition to this, you will want cookie cutters and other shaping tools to help you mold the marzipan into the shapes that you want. This can significantly cut down on the amount of time that you are spending. Finally, you will want to invest in some high quality plastic storage bags to keep your marzipan in. Marzipan stores safely for up to one month in the refrigerator, and up to six months in the freezer.