Square cakes are traditionally used in tiers for weddings and can take a great deal of time as well as practice to master. Icing a square cake is slightly more tricky than icing a round cake as it is important to ensure the corners are neat and tidy. For a fruit cake you will need to first cover the cake in marzipan and for a sponge cake it is best to use a thin layer of buttercream or jam.
Ingredients
- marzipan
- ready to roll icing
- apricot jam
1
Bring the apricot jam to the boil in a saucepan then allow to cool. Use this to brush over the cake, it will help the marzipan to stick
2
Knead the marzipan until pliable then dust the worksurface with a little icing sugar and roll the marzipan out into a rough square
3
Keep turning the marzipan as you roll to ensure an even thickness and to stop it from sticking to the work surface
4
Roll the marzipan to a thickness of about 5mm, making sure it is larger than the cake, then roll over the rolling pin and drape over the cake
5
Starting in the centre of the cake, smooth the surface with the palm of your hand to ensure there are no bubbles underneath
6
Secure the marzipan to the corners of the cake then gently unfold any creases in the marzipan on the sides of the cake and smooth down until it is all straight
7
Use two icing smoothers pressed together to sharpen the edges
8
Using a small knife cut away any excess marzipan and allow to firm up before icing
9
To help the icing stick to the marzipan brush it with a little water (use water that has been boiled and cooled or alternatively a clear alcohol such as gin or vodka)
10
Knead the icing until it is pliable and no cracks appear in the surface
11
Roll out into a rough square on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, again turning the icing as you roll
12
Roll out to a thickness of about 4mm then wrap around the rolling pin and roll over the top of the cake, smooth the surface as with the marzipan
13
Use your hands to smooth over the corners before using the icing smoother to smooth down the sides of the cake and sharpen the edges unfolding any pleats
14
Use a small knife to cut neatly around the base of the cake
15
Run the icing smoother all around once more to ensure a nice smooth finish
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