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Can I Cover The Traditional Christmas Cake With Chocolate Instead Of Fondant Icing?

Full question

I have made the Traditional Christmas Cake. Also I have covered it in marzipan. Can I now cover it in chocolate instead of fondant icing please?

Traditional Christmas Cake Our answer

Nigella's Traditional Christmas Cake (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS) is a traditional rich fruit cake. Nigella suggests various decorartions including the Smooth Hatbox Icing, which is a coating of marzipan followed by a coating of fondant icing (ready rolled fondant).

We are not sure if the chocolate coating is supposed to be chocolate-flavoured fondant icing, but if it is then you could use this in the same way as white fondant icing. However, if it is supposed to be a coating of melted chocolate then this is not something we would advise. When chocolate is melted and cooled, it goes out of "temper". That is, it will look matte once it is cold and solid and will no longer be glossy. You could retemper the chocolate, which means it will still be shiny when set, but the chocolate will be difficult to cut neatly once set and will tend to crack and fall off the cake when you cut it. It may be possible to use chocolate ganache, but in our opinion it is not easy to store for any length of time as the cake should be refrigerated once it is coated in ganache and the ganache will only last 3-5 days. We also feel that ganache is too rich to go with the fruit cake and marzipan.

Marzipan Recipe

1.

Blend the almonds in a blender to a fine paste, using some rosewater or juice if required.

2.

Put the sugar and water together in a pan and dissolve sugar over low heat, stirring all the time and not letting it come to a boil till sugar dissolves.

3.

When sugar dissolves, increase heat and cook till a soft ball consistency is reached (a drop dropped in a cup of cold water, should set but not harden).

4.

Mix in the almond paste and stir till well blended. Leave to cool.

5.

When cool, whip egg white till stiff. Add the almond paste and icing sugar to this and mix and knead well till smooth.

6.

Store in an airtight container if not using immediately.

Stollen Scones

Chef notes

Stollen isn't something that I grew up eating during the holidays, but it is something that has grown on me each year. The overall appearance of the bread, covered in a silly amount of bright white powdered sugar, is as magical as the holiday season itself. There's something special about cutting into the bread and seeing countless bits of dried fruit, nuts and citrus. These scones are a much less laborious take on the traditional Christmas bread that has stolen my heart — pun intended.

The scone dough is quite simple. Cake flour keeps the scones light and delicate, while butter, eggs and heavy cream help maintain moisture. The dough is subtly spiced with a combination of ground cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg. Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, a whole lot of mix-ins are added. These include orange and lemon zest, rum-soaked golden raisins and dried cranberries, candied ginger and (last but not least) crumbled bits of marzipan. Fun fact: traditional Dresden stollen doesn't actually contain any marzipan. However, the sweet, nutty almond paste has worked its way into most modern recipes, and rightfully so — it's delicious! In this case, it not only adds a recognizable flavor to the scones but it also adds a new texture to the dough. As the scones bake, the marzipan becomes a bit chewy.

The rum-soaked fruit is also a big player in terms of flavor in this recipe. Soak the golden raisins and cranberries in the rum for a day or two to get the biggest bang for your buck. Once you drain the fruit, don't toss that rum. Use it in place of vanilla extract in your favorite baking recipes. You can also use it to make a quick stovetop caramel sauce for ice cream sundaes. Alternately, flambé the alcohol to make bananas foster.

Technique Tip: It's important to keep the dough cold as you work. If you find that the warmth of your hands is starting to melt the butter, pop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate it for a few minutes before continuing.

Swap Option: All of the mix-ins are interchangeable. If you want more or less of either the dried fruit, marzipan or candied ginger, adjust as you see fit.

Preparation 1.

Place the raisins and cranberries in a resealable jar and cover with the rum. Seal and let stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days. Drain the fruit, reserving the rum.

2.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the butter and, working quickly, break the butter up into pieces the size of rolled oats.

3.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, orange zest, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of the reserved rum. Drizzle over the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until the dough just begins to come together. Stir in the drained fruit, marzipan and candied ginger to combine.

4.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead gently to bring together (do not overmix). Pat the dough into a 11-by-5-inch rectangle. Cutting on a diagonal, slice the dough into 8 triangles. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Brush the tops of the scones with more cream, then sprinkle with the sliced almonds. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown (if the nuts are toasting too quickly, tent the scones loosely with a piece of foil). Let cool completely on the pan, about 30 minutes. Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve.

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