Holiday Cakes and Cupcakes. Carol Deacon

      Flavoring and Coloring

      There are many ways to flavor buttercream. Here are just a few suggestions.

      Chocolate

      1 Melt 3½ ounces (100 g) of semi-sweet (plain) chocolate and stir into 1 quantity of buttercream.

      2 Alternatively mix 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder into a paste with 1-2 tablespoons of hot water and stir into the buttercream.

      3 You can increase these amounts if you prefer a stronger chocolate taste.

      Coffee

      1 Mix a tablespoon of instant coffee and a tablespoon of hot water together and stir into the buttercream.

      Coloring Buttercream

      Chocolate, coffee, and jam will automatically color the buttercream. You can also use food colors to create a frosting that is bright and vibrant. I would suggest using paste or gel colors as these are thicker and more concentrated than liquid colors so you’ll use less and it won’t make your buttercream runny.

      Something Fruity

      1 Stir a couple of tablespoons of jam into the buttercream to add both color as well as taste.

      2 You can also buy commercial flavorings— peppermint, almond, lemon, and orange for example. Just add a few drops and mix in. Some are more concentrated than others so repeat until you’re happy with the taste and strength.

      White Royal Icing

      This is made by mixing egg white with confectioners’ sugar. It’s a versatile white icing that sets very hard and brittle. It is excellent for piping fine details on cakes but should not be used as a cupcake topping. It cannot be used directly on sponge cakes.

      I am including royal icing for anyone using a fruitcake base for cakes such as “Sledding Santa Cake.” The fruitcake is first covered with almond paste (marzipan) then the royal icing is spread over the marzipan. This was the traditional way to cover a celebration cake in the UK for years until sponge and fondant became popular.

      I use dried egg white to make my royal icing but you can use fresh eggs if you prefer.

      You can omit the glycerine and lemon juice if you wish but these soften the icing to allow you to cut it fairly easily without it putting up too much resistance. You have been warned!

      4 cups (500 g) confectioners’ sugar

      1 tablespoon or two 8 g sachets of dried egg white powder (meringue powder) or 4 egg whites

      6 tablespoons of water—ONLY IF YOU ARE USING THE DRIED EGG WHITE

      2 teaspoons glycerine

      3 teaspoons lemon juice

      1 If using dried egg white, place this and the confectioners' sugar in a clean grease free bowl. Stir together. Add the water, glycerine, and lemon juice. Bind the mixture together slowly. Add a tiny bit more water if it is becoming too lumpy. Leave the mixture on a slow speed for about five minutes until the mixture is thick, soft, and glossy and standing up in peaks.