GET CREATIVE
PENGUIN SKI SLOPE C H RI S T M A S C A K E Serves 16 Takes 1 hr plus overnight drying Cost per serve 59p
Note You need to start the decoration at least a day ahead of serving A 75g apricot jam, sieved 800g round fruit cake (un-iced) 500g marzipan 400g tub ready-to-use royal icing 100g ready-to-roll green icing icing sugar, for dusting For the penguins 50g ready-to-roll black icing 10g ready-to-roll white icing 10g ready-to-roll orange icing 20g ready-to-roll red icing (optional) 1 tbsp sugar snowflakes You will also need cocktail sticks, a palette knife, small scissors
B
C
1 Heat the jam in a small saucepan until bubbling. Set aside to cool slightly. Place the cake upside down on a chopping board. Starting just over halfway across the top of the cake, cut diagonally through the cake to the bottom edge to make 2 wedges (see picture A, left). Brush the top of the larger piece of cake with a little jam, then line up the smaller piece on top to create a steep slope. Transfer to a cake stand or serving board and brush the whole cake with the rest of the jam (B). 2 Knead the marzipan briefly, then dust your work surface with icing sugar and roll the marzipan into a large oval, 5mm thick. Drape the marzipan over the cake, then smooth down with your hands. Trim the edges and use the off-cuts to patch up any gaps. Loosely cover with clingfilm and set aside for 24 hrs to harden. 3 The next day, stir the royal icing to loosen. Starting on the slope of the cake, spread the icing with a palette knife until the whole cake is evenly covered. Use the back of a spoon to create peaks and to smooth out a ski track in the middle of the cake (see main picture).
4 Use a cocktail stick to poke 6 holes in the cake at the sides of the ski track where you want to add trees, pressing down to leave 2cm of the stick exposed. Divide the green icing into 6 unequal pieces and shape into cones. Insert a cocktail stick into the base of each one and use scissors to cut branches (C), starting at the top and rotating as you cut. Carefully slot the trees on their cocktail sticks back into the holes in the cake. Once in place, pinch the top of each tree into a point. 5 To make the penguins, take two-thirds of the black icing and divide into 6 balls (3 small, 3 large) for the heads and bodies. Shape the larger balls into ovals. Use a little water to attach each head to a body, then make flippers by rolling the remaining black icing into 6 balls and pinching into shape. Fix to the sides of each penguin body with water. 6 Roll the white icing into 6 balls (3 small, 3 large). Flatten the small balls into circles and the large ones into ovals. With a little water, stick the larger pieces onto each penguin’s tummy. Cut a small triangle from the smaller circles (like the top of a heart shape) and fix, indent up, with water to make the face of each penguin. Add the eyes by pressing a cocktail stick through the white faces to the black fondant and wiggling gently to enlarge the hole (D). Make triangles and ovals out of the orange icing and attach to each penguin for beaks and feet. 7 Dress the penguins with red fondant accessories (optional), such as hats, scarves or ear muffs, then arrange them on the ski track and board, using cocktail sticks to keep them in place if necessary. To finish, scatter the sugar snowflakes onto the ski slope and around the cake board, then sift icing sugar over the penguins and trees to create a snowy look. Remove the cocktail sticks before eating. Each serving contains Energy
1888kJ 447kcal 22%
Fat
Saturates
Sugars
Salt
10g 3g 78g 0.2g 14% 17% 86% 3%
of the reference intake. See page 8. Carbohydrate 87g Protein 4g Fibre 2g
D 93