Every year I make several Christmas cakes-the rich fruit with Almond paste and Royal icing kind. The past two years have seen the almond paste dissapear as if it has dissolved. This never used to happen and I wonder if anyone has had a similar experience and if so have you resolved the problem ? The cakes are still lovely but just not the same without that lovely layer of almond. Maybe the climate has something to do with it do you think? its pretty warm and humid here on the run up to Christmas

What kind of ratio of almond does your paste have in it? Should be around 20-25% almond content. If you don't have enough sugar, it could be melting against the moist fruit cake.

Almond paste in an ingredient in Marzipan. Almond Paste is a mixture of sugar and almonds bound together with liquid glucose or just syrup. Marzipan is a mixture of almond paste, more sugar and sometimes unbeaten egg whites. Check what you are using.

If it is warm and humid, it is possible that it absorbed moistue from the atmosphere and simply dissolved.

Once applied, the cake must be kept in a cool place to dry completely. You could store it with silica sachets that absorb moisture. Or Double box the cake in an enclosed space with silica kitty-litter crystals [not touching the cake, of course] which works also..

Horror of Horrors - just looked at the packet and there NO mention of the ratio of Almonds (or ANY almond at all-just "flavouring"). To my knowledge there is only the one brand availabe .Maybe if I shopped elsewhere I could perhaps find a better product. Many thanks to both ,for your helpful advice. Auzzi, given that your in Australia you may be familiar with the product.Its "Pettinice" and is described as "ALMOND FLAVOURED ICING" No mention anywhere of almonds.Seems like Ive made a big boo boo!!!. The cost of ground almonds makes it unnafordable to make my own almond paste ,but as they're given as Christmas gifts perhaps the answere would be to simply make fruit and nut topped cakes in future(would that be very mean)?
thanks again I'm so glad I joined!!!!!

Pettinice is a RTR {ready-to-roll} icing, or as most decorators would call it - Rolled fondant!

It is definitely not marzipan !!

thanks Auzzie, I made a big mistake buying that over the past two years. It IS almond flavoured and is widely used here as the base under the royal icing - I will make my own for some and just make fruit and nut covered cakes for the rest.
Thanks again for your help

I sincerely hope that NZ cake decorators are not using Bakels Pettinice as a base under Royal icing. It's a cake covering alternative to Royal Icing, not an undercoat.

Here's a relatively easy AU marzipan recipe - the egg is the binder and the sherry is the flavouring .. You can, of course, use any other nutmeal, not just almonds ..

Marzipan and variations
500 g pure icing sugar
180 g almond, hazelnut or cashew meal
60 ml sherry
2 egg yolks
2 ts glycerine
extra pure icing sugar.
Sift sugar well.
Stir in nut meal.
Whisk egg yolks,glycerine and sherry.
Pour onto dry ingredients and stir.
Once the paste thickens, use your hands to complete mixing.
Dust bench with extra sugar and knead lightly until smooth.
Store in an airtight container for 2-4 hours before using.
This will cover 23cm round fruit cake.

I sincerely hope that NZ cake decorators are not using Bakels Pettinice as a base under Royal icing. It's a cake covering alternative to Royal Icing, not an undercoat.

Here's a relatively easy AU marzipan recipe - the egg is the binder and the sherry is the flavouring .. You can, of course, use any other nutmeal, not just almonds ..

Marzipan and variations
500 g pure icing sugar
180 g almond, hazelnut or cashew meal
60 ml sherry
2 egg yolks
2 ts glycerine
extra pure icing sugar.
Sift sugar well.
Stir in nut meal.
Whisk egg yolks,glycerine and sherry.
Pour onto dry ingredients and stir.
Once the paste thickens, use your hands to complete mixing.
Dust bench with extra sugar and knead lightly until smooth.
Store in an airtight container for 2-4 hours before using.
This will cover 23cm round fruit cake.

Kiwi1010: I would love to have your recipe for those fruitcakes you make. That is if you are willing to share them. I love learning about other cultures and holiday traditions and recipes. If it was up to me and I had the money I would do a holiday Christmas dinner different each year and one year it might be Italian, the next year Danish and so forth. I don't have the money to do it like I would like to, but I might be starting something like that. Thank you and best wishes for finding that almond stuff you are looking for. Could you use an almond paste like Odense makes? You might look them up on the web and see what they have to offer.

Thanks a million auzzie
Yes I have to say that it IS widely used here as a base for the royal icing. I'm not talking of course about professional bakers. I will use your recipe and thanks again.

thanks Jules -I've emailed you -your cakes look amazing