Edible cake toppers must be placed on icing or frosting, so here are some tried and tested recipes starting with the classic favourite, buttercream.
Remember that if your cake is iced in advance, you will have to brush the icing with water before applying the edible cake topper.
Buttercream
This is probably the most popular frosting / icing for sponge cakes.
The following amount will cover an 18cm(7 inch) cake.
HINT ... Did you know you can buy tubs of ready made buttercream in a variety of flavours?
Ingredients
Method
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Beat butter and sugar together,
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Add about a teaspoon of flavouring liquid ... milk, warm water, vanilla essence, instant coffee or cocoa dissolved in a scant dessertspoon of warm water etc to make a 'fluffy' consistency.
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Colour with food if desired
HINT ... add food colouring drop by drop as certain ones are very strong. If I want a delicate colour I dip a toothpick into bottle and drip it or stir into mixture. Remember you can't take it back but you can always add more!
Glace Icing
I think this is the simplest of all icings / frostings, and is especially good for coating your cupcakes / fairycakes.
Ingredients
Method
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Sift the sugar into a bowl.
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Gradually stir the water into the sugar until the icing is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon,
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Add either more water or sieved sugar to get the required consistency.
This amount is sufficient for approx. 12 cupcakes / fairy cakes.
Fondant Icing
Nowadays, ready made fondant icing is easily available in the supermarkets at a reasonable price.
However, you can also buy fondant icing sugar, which is very easy to use.
This icing can be easily moulded or rolled into any shape and I use it to cover my sponge cakes.
Ingredients
Method
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Sift fondant icing sugar into a bowl and gradually mix in enough hot water to give a stiff consistency (rather like dough or plasticine).
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Adjust by adding more water or sugar to achieve the correct consistency.
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Shape into a ball, place on a surface dusted with fondant icing sugar, then flatten out and roll to the correct size. If it sticks, dust with more sugar.
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So that the icing will stick to the cake, you need to brush your cake with apricot glaze. This is simply about a tablespoon of jam, heated and thinned if necessary with about a teaspoon of water. Other jams work as well but the colour could possibly stain your icing.
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Carefully lift and position your icing onto the cake. Trim with scissors if necessary, and ... hey presto! your cake is ready to be beautified with your edible cake topper!
Royal Icing
This icing is normally associated with Christmas cakes, or any rich fruit cakes.
A layer of marzipan is put on the cake before applying Royal Icing.
Using an electric mixer or food processor makes light work of this.
The following amount will cover a 15cm round cake.
Ingredients
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2 egg whites ... HINT ... Mercadona (and maybe other supermarkets) sells bottles of egg whites, found in the chillers above the freezers. Great for pavlovas and meringues!
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about 450g (1 pound) sifted icing sugar.
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1/2 teaspoon glycerine (optional)
Method
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Place egg whites in a grease free bowl and gently beat them to just break them up.
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Add a couple of heaped tablespoons of sugar and beat to incorporate. Scrape sides down with a spatula.
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Repeat until all sugar has been used , or until the icing stands in peaks.
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Stir in the glycerine. This will prevent the icing from setting rock hard.
