Icing your own cake

Have you ever iced and decorated a cake? Well with a little practice and a Tala Icing Set you will soon be able to ice cakes for any festive occasion. This book is aimed at the beginner and takes you, step-by-step, through the process of decorating a cake. You can also ice your own biscuits which can be a fun way to start as a beginner. Once you have mastered some of the basic techniques you will want to expand your skills and experiment with some of your own ideas.

The Cake
You can choose to ice a sponge cake or a fruit cake depending on the occasion and your own preference. Very rich cakes such as traditional wedding or christmas cakes improve by being stored for some weeks or even months. They should be well wrapped in greaseproof paper and stored in a cold, dry place. Your cake should be well proportioned and have a level top. If the cake is slightly domed you can either use the bottom of the cake for the top or level it with marzipan before applying a layer of marzipan icing.

Equipment
You will need a Tala Icing Syringe Set or Icing Bag Set with a selection of nozzles to create different decorative designs. You will also find that a Tala turntable, whilst not essential, will make decorating your cake much easier. In addition you will need a sieve, a palette knife (or steel rule), mixing bowls and a wooden spoon or spatula.

The first step . . .

Iced cakes usually have a layer of marzipan under the icing. Marzipan can be shop bought or you can follow our recipe: Marzipan (almond paste) 250g icing sugar 2 small eggs, lightly beaten 250g caster sugar Small lemon, juice only 500g ground almonds 5ml pure almond essence Method Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl and stir in the caster sugar and ground almonds. Add the lemon juice and almond essence and stir in the eggs, bit by bit, to make a stiff dough. Roll into a ball and knead lightly. The paste should be pliable but not overworked or oozing oil.

Royal icing
Royal icing has a hard, glossy surface perfect for cake decoration. This traditional recipe uses raw egg white, if you prefer use a premixed royal icing sugar which contains dried egg white. 375g icing sugar Egg whites from 2 large or 3 medium eggs Optional: glycerine, colourings and flavourings such as lemon juice and rosewater (see method) Method Sift the icing sugar through a fine sieve into a mixing bowl. Lightly beat the egg white in a separate bowl using a wooden spoon or spatula. Gradually beat in the icing sugar with the wooden spoon until the icing is light and pliable.
For coating the cake the icing should be easy to spread but not run of its own accord. For piping the icing must be stiff enough to form peaks and remain upright. If the consistency is too thin add more icing sugar; if it is too stiff add a little more egg white. For softer icing add a teaspoon of glycerine. Ingredients to flavour or colour the icing are added last. Liquid colourings should be added carefully, drop by drop, on the end of a skewer. Mix thoroughly to see the effect of the colouring before adding more. Repeat the process until you create the desired shade. When the icing has the right texture, scrape the sides of the bowl clean and cover with a damp cloth to prevent crusting. Beat the icing once again before use.

To apply the marzipan

Brush the surface of your cake with warmed, sieved apricot

jam to help the marzipan stick.

Halve the almond paste. Sprinkle icing sugar on a board to prevent sticking. Roll out one half to a strip as wide as the cake and long enough to go round it (measure the circumference with a piece of string). Fit around the edge of the cake using a rolling pin to help it adhere. Make sure it is just above the edge on the top, trim the bottom. Roll out the other half into a round

to fit the top of the cake. Turn the cake upside down onto the marzipan and trim round the cake. Turn back over and roll the top with the rolling pin to adhere.

Icing the top and sides

You will need a palette knife and a Tala turntable or, failing this, an upturned cake tin on which to stand the cake. Every time, before using it, the palette knife should be dipped into hot water and shaken afterwards. Top Put some icing on the cake and spread it with the palette knife all over the top, right to the edge. To level and smooth the surface take the knife with both hands, and holding it quite straight, draw the edge of the blade right across the top. Put surplus icing back into the bowl. Sides Spread icing roughly over the sides of the cake. To smooth the sides of a round cake stand the damp palette knife with its edge against the cake and revolve the Tala turntable. When finished lift the knife off gently. Without a turntable, or with a square cake you have to rely on the steadiness of your hand and the accuracy of your eye. Take special care of the edge and make it as neat as possible. Remove any excess from the bottom edge of the cake. Allow to dry in a dust-free, airy and not-too-warm place for 24 hours. After this you can apply a second coat or place the cake on a cake board ready for decorating.

First efforts in decoration

Perfect piping is a question of practice so dont despair if you find it difficult at first. Before starting on your cake practice your piping on a plate or piece of paper until you get used to the process. For decorative piping the icing should stand up in peaks.

Using a Tala syringe

Using a teaspoon or palette knife fill the syringe, about halfway, replace the plunger and secure it with a sharp turn to the right. Press down with the plunger and, as soon as the icing appears at the opening, screw on a nozzle. Insert your thumb into the ring at the end of the plunger and your index and third fingers will slip quite naturally into the other rings. A slight pressure with the thumb will now be sufficient to eject icing. Support the syringe body with your other hand.

Using a Tala icing bag

Fit a nozzle to your icing bag. Scoop up some icing on a palette knife and place it deep into the bag, it may help to fold the bag back to do this. Hold the bag together as you carefully withdraw the knife. When the bag is one quarter full twist it together behind the icing. Hold the bag with your leading hand and gently squeeze down towards the nozzle to release the icing. Support the bag with your other hand. Tip The heat from your hands may effect the consistency of the icing as you pipe, causing it to dry and crack. To avoid this use small amounts and re-fill often.

Piping techniques
Here are a few tips to get you started To pipe a straight line Place the tip of nozzle no. 2 at the place where you want to begin. As you squeeze out the icing lift the nozzle slightly away from the surface and, still squeezing, move the nozzle steadily in the direction of the line to be piped, keeping the icing flowing evenly. Lower the tip of the nozzle gently on to the surface where you want the line to end and release the pressure. Never attempt to pipe a line with the nozzle touching the surface as this will result in an uneven finish. Stars and shells Attach a star nozzle. Hold the syringe in an upright position with the nozzle about 3mm away from the surface. Press out a little icing, release the pressure and quickly lift off the syringe. The result will be a little star. Shell patterns can be formed using the same nozzle but holding the syringe at 45 degrees. Squeeze the icing on to the surface, lift the tube slightly, guide it away from you then back towards you and finish down on the surface. Borders
Borders can be created by

Writing
You can use nozzle no.2 (supplied with your Tala icing set) or a Tala Icing Pen. The icing should be softer for writing but stiff enough to hold a round shape when piped. First write your message on paper and practice piping over it. You will need to keep the icing flowing for each stroke or letter to achieve a smooth line. Once you are satisfied with the result write the message again on paper and place it in position on the cake. Use a pin to prick through the key points of the letters on to the surface of the cake and then ice over your template.

Icing Syringe Set

Five nozzles are included with the Tala Icing Syringe Set:

No.2 Writer No.5 Rope No.8 Star

piping rows of dots, shells and stars. Continuous borders and ribbons are more difficult but a Tala turntable can make this task easier. Garlands and looped ribbons allow you to make breaks in the border and this gives you more control.

No.12 Shell

No.36 Flower

Icing Bag Set

Six nozzles are included with the Tala Icing Bag Set: No.4 Writer No.24 6 Star

No.30 8 Star

No.59 Ric-rac

No.98 Border

No.104 Flower

The Art of Icing is simple with

Tala sets

We hope this introduction to icing will inspire you to delight your family and friends with celebration cakes for years to come.

Tala Icing Book: 2011 edition George East Housewares Ltd., 15 Masterlord Industrial Estate, Leiston, England IP16 4JD

www.george-east.com

Printed in England