Cake decorating

Cake decorating

In this section you can learn how to bake and decorate the cake. Icing methods and tricks.
How to Make a Christmas Yule Cake
Ingredients:

• parchment-lined pan
• 6 eggs, separated
• 150 g (5 oz) caster sugar
• 50 g (2 oz) cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp orange Zest
• 1 tsp lemon Zest
• 125 g (4½ oz) self rising flour

Preheat the oven to 180 º C and line a Swiss Roll pan (cookie pan) with parchment paper. Butter the paper and then sprinkle lightly with cocoa,flour mixture.
Put the egg whites into a large grease less bowl and whisk to soft peaks. While still beating add 50g (2tbsp) of the caster sugar tablespoon by tablespoon and whisk it until the egg whites are white and fluffy. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the orange and lemon zest and remaining sugar until combined. Sift over the flour-cocoa mixer into the yolk mixture and fold it in gently. Put a spoonful of egg white into the yolk mixture and stir it in gently. Then add the remaining white little by little- fold very gently, so you don't lose any air. Pour and spoon the mixture into the lined tin and, when the oven is heated, bake in for 20 minutes.

• prepare a large clean tea towel by spreading it on a flat surface and sprinkling it with powdered sugar.
• Turn hot cake out onto tea towel and pull off the parchment paper gently.
• Roll the towel up loosely and allow the cake to cool in this rolled position for yule log shape.
• When cool, unroll and fill with butter cream filling

Filling

• 1 tsp meringue powder
• 200 g (7 oz)icing sugar, sifted
• 165 g (1 ½ sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 125 g (4½ oz) dark chocolate melted in a bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water
• Juice of one orange

To make the chocolate orange butter cream, put the sugar, butter and meringue powder and beat it until combine..
Then add the chocolate and the orange juice and whisk again until creamy .
Unroll the cake and spread a thin layer of the icing onto the cake and, roll it up again to make a log shape.
Cut one edge of the log straight to give a clean cut. Then on the other side, cut the edge into an angle, placing this piece onto the top of the log to create a stump.
With a palette knife, spread the rest of the cream all over the log and smooth it. With a fork, make a soft trace in the cream. Then cut off one end and arrange it as a branch. Cover the log with icing, give a wood mark with the end of a knife for a log effect.
Finally, decorate with sugar pine cones, mint leaves, fresh cranberries, icing sugar and Christmas sugar craft figures!