It can also be covered in fondant, so your design possibilities are pretty wide open 
You may have to prepare your fruitcake for the fondant by filling in small imperfections in the surface:
http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/ARTICLE.aspx?id=42166
Only mentioning this because it would add to your labor, and should be factored into your pricing
Previous thread on covering fruitcake with fondant:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-54429-.html
HTH
when is this wedding? and is the granma making the cake or giving you the recipe? in any case the thing with fruit cake is that you can take your time. cover it in mazipan a week before the wedding, let that dry for a day or 2 before you cover it in fondant, then you can decorate any design you want.
I think the two options are given because not everyone likes marzipan.
If you opt not to use the marzipan just use a thicker layer of fondant.
Previous threads on covering fruitcakes (missbaritone):
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-54146-.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-54269-.html
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-51579-.html
HTH
I have done a few fruit cakes and I don't use any marzipan. I just use a thickish layer of fondant and its been fine - no seeping. But make sure you do fill in any holes on the top and sides with little pieces of fondant for a smooth finish.
As some of you may know, we Brits are into fruit cake. You don't have to fill in the holes - just turn it upside down and use the smooth bottom as the top! Cover it with marzipan (like you would fondant), then cover with fondant (called sugarpaste in England), or royal icing softened with glycerine and a drop of lemon juice.
im surprised the cake has been frozen, perhaps she is not going to 'feed it' as i would have expected, with sherry, or brandy or someother spiriit. Since she has asked you to decorate her cake i would ask her if she would like mazipan and fondant or just fondant and go from there.
from another Brit, in TX
Sweetcakes
i am decorating a wedding cake for january and the bride wants the top two tiers fruit cake, she is having them made and i will just be covering them and decorating..bottom will be choc mud, made by me..
i am going to use almond icing for the first covering then sugar paste (fondant) over that..
kylie
why on earth would u freeze a fruitcake -- they are like cockroaches - nothing kills them!!! (okay - probably a bad analogy!) But seriously... fruit cakes are huge for weddings in UK & Australia -- although Australia is starting to get a little more diverse - thank goodness.
Anyways... for "plugging" or filling the holes - cut the top of the fruitcake off - to make it a smooth finish and then flip over - the base is always the smoothest. Then you need to "plug" the holes that may have been created by a loosened current/raisin etc... you can do this by using a softened piece of fondant and smoosh in with a knife or use marzipan/almond paste. Also, you can make a "dam" around the top edge of the cake if it is a bit sharp. Once this has been done brush cake with a sugar mix or perhaps some of the alcohol that has been used in making the cake ie: rum.
Then cover... Traditionally marzipan was used as a first layer of wedding/Christmas cakes but this is slowly being less common. It does help to get that extra smothness when you have covered the cake with fondant, the alternative is to make sure you use a really good thickness of fondant - don't be too skimpy as if it is too thin it will show up any dips/bulges you haven't been able to smooth perfectly.
Hope this helps... sorry it ended up being so long!
-- Fi
I am also amazed she's frozen it - how odd. I pretty much insist on working with fruit cake rather than sponge because it's a great firm base for decorating and lasts forever which means I can spend days and days decorating. If you have any questions about fruit cakes do PM me as I've worked with so many now I will probably be able to answer your questions.
The advice given by emmascakes is spot on. If you do want any help or advice feel free to pm me. As has been mantioned you don't need to wait until the last minute to decorate. You can start a few weeks before you need it
Ladies those of you that make fruitcake a lot for weddings(UK, Australia) do you grind the fruits before you use it. I am just curious to know if its made the same way as here in Jamaica.
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