Royal Icing On A 17Th Birthday Cake Help

Decorating By redheadco Updated 29 May 2010 , 8:09pm by rainbow_kisses

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redheadco Posted 28 May 2010 , 2:26pm
post #1 of 12

Hi ive been asked to make a birthday cake and to cover it in royal icing. ive used royal icing before on christmas cakes that were fruit and mazipaned but never on a sponge cake. What i need to now is other than filling he cake with jam, what do i cover the cake with is it just royal icing or like a christmas cake marzipan, so stuck at the mo and the cake is du i a couple of wks, any help would be very munch appricated. thenk you in advance Mel

11 replies
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j_arney Posted 28 May 2010 , 3:57pm
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I've never iced a cake with royal, but wouldn't it dry rock hard? How would you cut it? Does the person who requested this understand what royal icing is? I would inform the client that buttercream or fondant might be a better way to go and let her decide.

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Montrealconfections Posted 28 May 2010 , 4:15pm
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Back in the old days (very old days) they would cover cakes in royal icing, it does dry hard but it isn't cement ;o). Take a cookie covered in it and break it in half the icing cracks at the breaking point. I work with royal all the time and have not attempted to cover a cake in it it probably is tricky to get the sides smooth I don't know how well it would adhere to butter cream on the cake. I suggest you do a test run to make sure this actually works. Have you ever seen "petit fours" cakes they are covered in a type of runny fondant sort of like a flow icing maybe you could pour it on??

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Caths_Cakes Posted 28 May 2010 , 4:18pm
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ive had a few requests for an entirely royal iced sponge cake and i refuse to do them, the weight of the royal icing is to heavy for sponges to handle, And as j_arney says, it dries so hard its not a great compliment for sponge . .2ndly im not sure the royal icing would stand up against sponge, with it having such a large fat content i think that may trigger the royal to break down, I would definately do a test run for this first, Although if you were to cover the sponge with marzipan first, it should solve this problem, But as before the weight then becomes an issue

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redheadco Posted 29 May 2010 , 7:48am
post #5 of 12

Thanks for your adv the the client is someone who normally makes cakes but cant do this one as she wants it for a suprise for her daughter, i made her sons a few wks ago but this time she asked if it could be in royal instead of buttercream and fondant like his, and stupidly i aggreed,

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rainbow_kisses Posted 29 May 2010 , 11:05am
post #6 of 12

You would have to make a much denser sponge cake something like a pound cake. To help the royal icing set as the cake has a higher fat content that fruit you would need to make a barrier of Marzipan, only a thin covering of approx.2-3mm and leave it to dry for a day or two then apply the royal. If you make the right mix it does not dry as hard as people imagine just like when it is coating a cookie like PP stated. It can be done if thats what is wanted. I use a madera cake when using royal icing but mainly at Christmas when people want an altenative to rich fruit. I have even covered carrot cakes with RI.

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Caths_Cakes Posted 29 May 2010 , 11:24am
post #7 of 12

Scrummy, Which way do you make royal icing?

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rainbow_kisses Posted 29 May 2010 , 1:40pm
post #8 of 12

4 Tea spoons Dried Albumin-based powder ( We recommend 'Meri White')
4 Table spoons Cold water
500g Icing/confectioners Sugar
1 Tea spoon Glycerine

Add 4 table spoons of water to a measuring jug then add 4 tea spoons of Dried Albumin-based powder ( 'Meri White')
stir and leave the solution to stand for at least half an hour.
Stir the solution again
Place 500g of sieved icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add the solution...gently combine the two ingredients using the beater on the mixing
turn the mixer onto a slow setting and leave for eight minutes or until the mixture is white and makes peaks.

To prevent the royal Icing from drying too hard add a tea spoon of glycerine.

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Caths_Cakes Posted 29 May 2010 , 4:49pm
post #9 of 12

i thought as much, the glycerine does help it from setting so hard icon_smile.gif

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rainbow_kisses Posted 29 May 2010 , 5:05pm
post #10 of 12

Thats why I said the right mix icon_lol.gif

Everyone imagines RI to be like cement, but you can of course make it softer.

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redheadco Posted 29 May 2010 , 8:02pm
post #11 of 12

was going to use madira its my fav cake, will definatly use your mix though scrummy, similar to what my mother in law recommended. thanks again for the help will post a pic once its done

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rainbow_kisses Posted 29 May 2010 , 8:09pm
post #12 of 12

Your welcome redheadco thumbs_up.gif

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