HOW TO MAKE FONDANT ICING RECIPES

Steps:

• Before starting to prepare the ingredients to make buttercream icing without powdered sugar, you must bear in mind that the proportion of syrup must be equal to that of butter.If you don't know or remember how to make syrup, do not worry. You only need water and regular white sugar - not icing sugar: learn more in our article on how to make syrup at home. Once you have your homemade syrup ready, you can continue working on your icing.
• It is important that you keep the butter at room temperature in order to beat it more easily. If you have forgotten to take it out of the fridge, you can heat the butter in the microwave. Be very careful not to overdo it, because you'll need to make a cream, not an oil or liquid.In order to make buttercream icing without powdered sugar, the butter should be soft but still solid and workable.
• And so, beat the butter with the help of a whisk - an electric one or the food processor whisk will always be of added help. Your goal is to achieve a creamy texture, never a liquid one.
• Once you have the right texture for your homemade buttercream icing, add the vanilla extract or other flavoring of your choice. Mix it further so that the vanilla flavor completely permeates the cream.If you want to give color to the buttercream icing, now is the time to add a few drops of food coloring and mix it again with with the whisk to integrate it.
• The next step to make buttercream icing will be to slowly add the syrup that you previously prepared. Do not pour it in all at once; rather, pour it slowly as it absorbs well into the mix. Your goal is to avoid two differentiated parts.Keep stirring for some extra minutes, until you see that your homemade buttercream icing has a fluffy consistency.
• And ready! That is all you must do to make buttercream icing without powdered sugar. Now you will be able to decorate all kinds of cupcakes, biscuits, tarts or whatever comes to mind. Will you share with us your opinions and what you thought of the results?If you're looking for more cake decoration ideas, don't miss these great fondant icing and fondant with marshmallows recipes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Grease and line a 20cm/8in square tin with two strips of parchment paper.
• For the sponge, beat together all the sponge ingredients until smooth. Tip the cake mixture into the tin and tap lightly to level out.
• Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a metal skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and allow to cool completely on a wire rack, before putting in the fridge to chill (or alternatively place in the freezer for a few minutes until chilled but not frozen).
• While the cake is chilling, make the buttercream. Beat together the softened butter and icing sugar in a bowl until lighter in colour, and smooth.
• Place 100g/3½oz of the buttercream in a piping bag and allow to slightly firm up in the fridge. Keep the rest in a bowl for the cake sides.
• For the marzipan topping, heat the apricot jam in a small saucepan and sieve it into a bowl.
• Brush the top of the cake with the sieved apricot jam.
• Roll the marzipan out very thinly, cover the top of the cake and chill again.
• Cut the cake into 25 equal squares (each 4cm/1½in square). You may need to cut off the edges if they have rounded and pulled away from the sides of the tin - all the edges must be straight and neat.
• Cover four sides of each square with buttercream (not the marzipan top or the base). Using the buttercream in the piping bag, pipe a blob in the centre of each square on top of the marzipan. Leave to set in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• For the icing and decoration, cut the fondant icing into small cubes. Place in a sturdy free-standing mixer with a paddle. Churn the icing until it stars to break down, adding a splash of water if it's too hard. Very gradually add the water - the icing will become smooth and more liquid.
• Add flavouring and food colouring to taste - be careful not to add too much at once, you can always add more but can’t undo it!
• Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water). Once melted, place the chocolate in piping bag and set aside.
• Take the cakes out of the fridge and place one onto a fork.
• Dip each square into the icing one at a time and carefully set onto a cooling rack, with parchment underneath to catch the drips. Try not to get finger prints on them - for this reason it is best to insert the fork at an angle so that you can slide the cake off onto the cooling rack easily.
• Leave the fondant to set, but do not put in the fridge as the icing will lose its shine.
• Using the piping bag of melted chocolate, drizzle the chocolate over each fancy in a zig-zag pattern.
• Leave to set and then place on a cake stand to serve.