A Bunch Of Icing Questions From A Newbie!
Decorating By CaseyK Updated 8 Sep 2006 , 6:22pm by CakeDiva73
Hi all,
I've been wanting to try working with some new icings but am a bit confused. From what I've been reading, they recommend using marzipan under sugarpaste (fondant right?) or royal icing. Is this necessary? Or can I use sugarpaste or royal icing right on the cake?
Also, I've heard you can get pre-made marzipan and sugarpaste. Is this true? If so, where would I get it?
TIA
Casey 
I think the marzipan is a more European custom.. I know they make fruit cakes covered in marzipan and then cover in royal icing. As a rule, you can use buttercream over the cake and then put your fondant over that. They have marzipan pre-made at our grocery store but it costs a bloody fortune. Pre-made fondant is also available at cake supply stores but the Wilton brand is terrible tasting so a lot of people make their own Marshmallow Fondant using the recipes from this site.
Satinice is a good pre-made brand if you choose not to make your own.
Hi Casey,
I agree with CakeDiva, you must be reading a book on cake decorating that was published in the UK or elsewhere in Europe. That being said, I LOVE marzipan and sometimes use it under fondant. To do this, you must also make some apricot glaze (warm up some apricot preserves in a saucepan, add some water - about 1/2 cup for a jar of preserves - and stir it until it simmers). Once you have the glaze made, brush the cake with it (use a pastry brush) and then apply your marzipan layer (roll it out under a sheet of plastic wrap - it dries fast). Once you have the marzipan on, brush that with your glaze and apply the fondant.
You can make your own marzipan using almond paste but I don't have the recipe with me right now. Feel free to PM me and I will email it to you Sunday (out of town now).
You want to use Buttercream under the marshmallow fondant and I would only use the royal over the MMF for accents or a design... You don't need to cover the fondant completely with royal icing....or did I misunderstand? 
Royal icing will get hard so you only want to use that for flowers or accents that will be placed on top of the cake. Royal icing is not meant to ice a cake with, as far as I understand.
I think they actually ice entire cakes in Royal Icing in European cultures.... it baffles me, to be honest with you. I have some books and then as I was reading them realized that they were from overseas because their terminology was different and it took me a minute to realize sugarpaste is fondant. I can't stand RI.... it's just too grainy and sweet & crunchy 
but others adore it.
I actually posted a question about RI drying rock hard and I guess that when it covers the marzipan it doesn't dry as hard as when you put it on a cookie.... like I said, I am baffled by it
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