Materials/Equipment

Sponge cake (torted)                                                             Butter cream

Raspberry jam (seedless)                                                       Marzipan

Sugarpaste                                                                            Gin or vodka

Cake drum                                                                            Turntable

Rolling pin                                                                             Windsor spacer rings

Windsor smoother                                                                 Side scraper

Pallet knife                                                                             Artist pallet knife

Spread 2/3^rd of the butter cream on the base layer of cake.

Place a layer of sponge on top of the butter cream and then cover with raspberry jam.

Mask (very thin layer) the side and then the top of the cake with butter cream.

Knead the marzipan on a clean surface (i.e. not on a dusting of icing sugar)

Attach the spacer rings to the ends of the rolling pin.

Lightly dust the rolling out surface with icing sugar (on no account use corn flour as this product will cause the marzipan to ferment). Roll out the marzipan till it no longer grows in size i.e. is the same thickness as the spacer rings.

Lift the marzipan up on rolling pin and cover the cake.

Smooth the marzipan into shape

Trim the marzipan ½ inches away from the cake

Use the side scraper and push the edge of the marzipan towards the cake to create a crease. Carefully cut along this creased mark and remove the surplus.

In one hand hold the side scraper against the side of the cake and the smoother in the other. Carefully rock the smoother (backwards and forwards) around the cake side. Place the smoother on the top of the cake and use circular motions to polish/smooth the surface of the cake.

Use the centre of your palm (backward and forwards motion) to bring the two polished surfaces together.

Pour a small amount of gin or vodka into a glass. Use your fingers (no brushes) to apply the alcohol to the surface of the marzipan (were ever there is a dry patch you will get an air-pocket/bubble) 

Knead the sugarpaste on a clean surface (i.e. not on a dusting of icing sugar)

Lightly dust the rolling out surface with icing sugar (on no account use corn flour as this product will cause the marzipan to ferment). Roll out the sugarpaste until it no longer grows in size i.e. is the same thickness as the spacer rings

Apply the sugarpaste to the cake

Smooth/trim the sugarpaste using the same techniques as used for covering the cake with marzipan.

Roll a piece of sugarpaste into a long sausage (no less than 1 inch in diameter). Roll the sugarpaste out till its approx 1/8^th inch in thickness. Cut/trim one neat edge. Make sure there is sufficient icing sugar underneath the strip of sugarpaste and then roll up just like a bandage.

Wet the visible surface of the cake drum with alcohol, unwrap the bandage of sugarpaste around the cake (neat/cut edge against the cake). Over lap the sugarpaste where it meets and cut through both layers.

Remove the surplus paste and smooth/polish the join.

Trim/cutaway the excess sugarpaste around the edge of the cake drum

Copyright © 2010

By Christine Flinn the author of the above work