This is my round Christmas cake with its layer of marzipan. It’s getting there. I opted for mass-produced marzipan rather than making my own in the end <hangs head in shame>, although I did go for a premium brand so it has quite a high almond content – 36% instead of the typical 25%. By tomorrow the cake will be ready for icing – the marzipan needs to dry first, which takes at least 24 hours. In the left-hand photo you can see the rolling pin I use for cake decorating. It’s made of polyethylene and I find it much easier to work with than a wooden one when handling sugarpaste and other types of icing, as well as all kinds of pastry, especially when combined with a marble work surface.
In Italy, and in Palermo in particular, marzipan is often shaped and painted to look like fruit, especially at Christmas. Here’s some I made earlier…
