simple icing sensations

simple icing sensations by Orchard ORCHARD icing IDEAS ORCHARD MANUFACTURING CO PTY LTD 97-101 Bayfield Road Bayswater Victoria 3153 Australia Tel: (+613) 9720 8311 Fax: (+613) 9720 8911 Orchard Manufacturing Co Pty Ltd is a wholly Australian owned company. Owner of the trade marks ORCHARD and the Orchard Tree Device. www.orchardicing.com BCA/OCH029

Contents There s inspiration in every pack of Orchard Icing 4 The clever checklist 4 The 6 simple steps to successful decorating 5 Traditional cakes the modern way 6 Celebration cakes 8 Birthday cakes 12 Valentine s Day cakes 14 Christmas cakes 16 Wedding cakes 20 Contemporary cakes 22 Sensational slices 28 Sweets, chocolates and treats 30 Orchard s top tips 32 Frequently asked questions 34 Extra cake recipes and acknowledgements 36 2 3

There s inspiration in every pack of Orchard Icing Welcome to the inspiring world of Orchard Icing. A world where, with a little imagination, you can easily make your cakes and slices not only look spectacular but taste even better. Orchard Icing is easy to use. The information in this book is designed to help you and your imagination make the most out of using Orchard Icing every time you bake. Read on and you ll find some very useful tricks and tips for decorating with Orchard Icing, along with a host of mouth-watering recipes that your friends and family will simply love. Orchard Icing is specially formulated to make it easy for beginners and quicker for professionals to use. It doesn t need mixing or cooking, just a little kneading before rolling out and laying over cakes and slices. And Orchard Icing can be coloured and easily shaped to create so many different extra decorating touches. The clever checklist Listed below is all you ll need to get started. And if you don t feel like baking yourself, why not just pick up a ready-made cake from your local bakery or supermarket? Your choice of Orchard Almond, White, Chocolate, Ivory, Bridal White, White Chocolate, Red or Green Icings Clean flat work space Sifted pure icing sugar (or vegetable shortening for coloured icing) Cake or slice to decorate Rolling pin Spatula Knife Sugar syrup (page 32) Pastry brush Edible food colouring Baseboard or cake platter Cake decorating accessories (ribbons, flowers, etc) The 6 simple steps to successful decorating 1. Trim cake For a smooth flat surface, trim off the top of your cake, turn over on to greaseproof paper, fill any holes with Orchard Icing and smooth with spatula. 2. Knead Dust a flat surface with sifted pure icing sugar for White and Almond Icing or lightly grease with vegetable shortening when working with Chocolate Icing or coloured icing. Knead the icing with the heel of your hand until smooth. 3. Coat with sugar syrup Brush surface to be iced with sugar syrup (page 32). 4. Roll Roll out icing to 1cm thick on the lightly dusted surface, turn over and re-roll to approx. half a centimetre thick and large enough to cover your cake top and sides or top of slice. Allow enough overhang to trim off for a neat, even finish. 5. Lift and drape Using a rolling pin, lift the icing and drape over cake or slice. 6. Smooth Dust hands with pure icing sugar and, using the heel of your hand, smooth the icing over the top and down the sides of the cake. Pierce air bubbles with a pin and smooth with fingers. Trim excess icing from the edges with a sharp knife. To give your cakes that super-smooth, truly professional finish, add a second icing layer. Orchard Almond Icing for the first layer followed by Orchard Chocolate or White Icing for the second repeating steps 2 to 6. Now you can let your imagination go and start decorating your cake! Experiment with patterns, pictures and other ideas to give your cake or slice a truly individual feel. Use some of the recipes and designs in this book, or get really creative, design your very own! We d love to see how your designs turn out. Visit www.orchardicing.com for details on how to send your cake images for inclusion on our website. 4 5

Traditional cakes the modern way Here are some classic recipes that are perfect for use with Orchard Icing. Follow these tested, easy-to-make traditional recipes (or buy a ready-made cake if you wish) and try giving them a modern feel with the help of Orchard Icing. You won t believe its fruit cake, fruit cake! 200g butter 200g sugar 3 eggs 250g mixed fruit 100g plain flour 100g self raising flour 1 /2 tsp nutmeg 1 /4 cup milk 1 /2 tsp vanilla essence or grated orange rind Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Gradually beat in well whisked eggs. Add the fruit, then sifted flours and nutmeg. Stir in milk and essence or orange rind. Bake for 1 hour. Super Fast Orange Cake 250g self raising flour 2 tbsp cornflour 330g caster sugar 4 eggs 250g softened unsalted butter 1 /2 cup milk 1 /4 cup orange juice Grated rind of 1 orange This recipe couldn t be simpler, or yummier! Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 2 x 20cm round cake tins. Mix all ingredients together and beat well for 5 mins. Pour into tins and bake for 45 mins. Towards end of cooking time insert skewer. If skewer comes out clean, the cake is ready. Chocolate Lover s Chocolate Cake 2 eggs 1 cup margarine 2 /3 cup cocoa 190g plain flour 190g of self raising flour 1 cup sour cream 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp vanilla essence 1 cup hot water 450g of caster sugar Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line 2 x 20cm round cake tins. Mix all ingredients together until smooth, pour into greased tins and bake for 40 mins. Cool and ice with Orchard Chocolate Icing. Helpful Hint: Lace icing with Cointreau when kneading for an orange flavour that will zest up your cake. Cream Cake 125g butter 220g sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 /4 1 cups sour cream 250g plain flour 1 /2 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda pinch of salt Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line 20cm round or ring tin. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Flavour with vanilla essence and blend in sour cream. Sift in dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon mixture into greased tin and bake for approximately 40 mins. Helpful Hint: For a variation, add 60g of finely chopped glace cherries. Orchard Madeira Cake Madeira Cake is the perfect partner to Orchard Icing. Follow this simple recipe for great results every time. 300g self raising flour 125g butter 150g sugar pinch of salt 3 eggs 6 tbsp milk 1 tsp lemon essence Preheat oven to 160C. Grease and line 20cm round cake tin. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add lemon essence, then eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in sifted dry ingredients, alternating with milk. Pour into prepared tin and bake for approximately 1 hour. 6 7

Celebrate with Orchard No matter what the occasion there is a decorating idea and an Orchard Icing to suit. Everything from multi-tiered cakes to classic anniversary cakes and anything in between. And you will find them all so easy using Orchard Icing. Anniversary cake Use a 25cm x 20cm oval cake. Cover first with 1.25kg Orchard Almond Icing followed by 1.25kg Orchard White Icing. Decorate with icing flowers and numbers on florist s wire. For edge trimmings and the letters pipe with royal icing (page 32). Helpful Hint: Remember to wet florist s wire before inserting into icing flowers to ensure they do not fall off. For best results, allow to dry overnight before covering with White Icing. For helpful hints on drying times see page 33. Two layers: Orchard White Icing is layed on top of Orchard Almond Icing. 8 9

Celebrate with Orchard Congratulations on your new baby! You will need a level 20cm hexagonal cake. Apply 1kg Orchard Almond Icing followed by 1kg Orchard White Icing coloured lemon. In addition cover board with 250g lemoncoloured icing. Use 125g of Orchard Green Icing, roll and cut out strips to make grass. Attach using water around entire cake base. Strips should fall like grass. Decorate top of cake with Orchard Icing ducks, icing ribbon and ready-made flower cake decorations. The rocks are made from Chocolate Icing and the water is piping gel available from cake decorating suppliers. Trim cake board with ribbon. Stars in their eyes Try our quick and easy light fruit cake recipe and make a 30cm star cake using a starshaped cake tin. Cover cake with 2kg Orchard Almond Icing and leave to dry. Cover cake with 2kg Orchard White Icing and leave to dry. Cut out several stars of varying sizes using Orchard White Icing. Place on sheet of non-stick paper. Paint the stars silver and blue. Line bottom edge of cake with cord. Attach stars randomly over cake using sugar syrup. Pipe message using royal icing. To make owl, use Orchard White Icing for the body to make basic shape. Use small quantity Orchard Chocolate Icing for feathers and liquorice strips for glasses, mortar board etc. 10 11

Birthdays to remember Birthdays are a special celebration. Which is why they deserve extra special cakes. You can theme your cake to suit any birthday with a little help from Orchard Icing. And when you create your birthday masterpiece, sit back, relax and watch how quickly it disappears! Parcel 21st cake Using our Chocolate Lover s Chocolate Cake recipe, make a 30cm square cake and a 20cm square cake. You will need 3kg Orchard Chocolate Icing to completely cover the tops and sides of both cakes. Place large iced cake on board covered with foil. Place small iced cake on 20cm square board in one corner of larger cake using wooden dowels for support (page 33). Pipe around both cake bases with chocolate royal icing. Make up ribbon and bows using Orchard Almond Icing. Add White Icing gift tag and piped message. Chocolate collar birthday cake Use our Chocolate Lover s Chocolate Cake recipe again for this and make a 20cm round cake. Roll out 500g Orchard Chocolate Icing into a wide, flat strip for the collar. Roll out Orchard White Icing quite thinly. Cut out dots and place on collar using sugar syrup. Ensure collar rises above cake top. Dust with cocoa powder. Decorate centre as you please. Turning eight is great! Cut a small slice off the side of two 20cm Madeira ring cakes so they sit flat against each other. Arrange cakes on board so they make a figure eight. Knead 2kg Orchard Almond Icing, roll out and cover entire cake. Knead 2kg Orchard Green Icing and roll out. Cover the entire figure eight. Trim edges and sides until they are neat and tidy. Use liquorice strips to make a racetrack. Decorate with toy cars and lollipops. Pipe green coloured royal icing around edge of base. 12 13

Love is in the air Get in the mood this Valentine s Day with one of our romantic cakes. Seduce your loved one with a special chocoholic s delight Chocolate Lover s Chocolate Cake. 14 Saint Valentine s Day Cut a 20cm chocolate cake into a heart shape or use a heart-shaped tin. Using 1kg Orchard Almond Icing, cover entire cake. Take 1050g Orchard White Icing and reserve 50g for heart decoration. Take 150g Orchard Red Icing again setting aside 50g to make heart decorations. Knead the remaining 1kg White Icing with about 100g of Red Icing until you achieve a soft pink colour of your choice. Reserve a small portion of the pink icing for heart decorations. Roll out the pink icing and cover cake. Trim off excess and set aside for more heart decorations. Cut out heart shapes using heart-shaped cutters. Repeat using reserved White and Red Icing. Attach hearts with sugar syrup. Have my heart cake Use a 28cm heart-shaped cake. Knead 1.8kg Orchard Chocolate Icing. Brush cake with sugar syrup then roll out and cover with Chocolate Icing. Trim and smooth. Line the bottom with ribbon and hold in place with double-sided tape. Lay a fresh rose on top of the cake (page 33). Helpful hints: decorate your cake with additional cake shards, rose petals and chocolate dusting. In the mood for love cake Cover a heart-shaped cake with Orchard Almond Icing, allow to dry then cover with Orchard White Icing. Take time smoothing corners for a clean finish. Using suitable ribbon, affix with sugar syrup. Knead 200g Orchard Red Icing. Roll out to 1 /2 cm thick. Cut out hearts using heart-shaped cutter. Affix to florist s wire. Push a posy pick into the cake then insert wires into posy pick. 15

Christmas is a time for sharing Christmas stocking cake Use a 30cm x 23cm rich fruit cake. Cut out cake to resemble stocking. Round edges using a sharp knife. Cover cake with 1.75kg Orchard Almond Icing. Trim and smooth. Make exaggerated fold marks and indentations with your fingers. Leave to dry. Roll out 1.75kg Orchard Red Icing to size. Roll a fresh tea towel over icing to create a fabric texture. Place icing on cake and shape with your hands. Roll out Orchard White Icing for top of stocking. With a knife cut zigzag shape. To make bells, roll small pieces of Orchard White Icing and mark using a knife. Attach with sugar syrup. Use coloured Orchard Icing to make toys and holly. Decorate with mints and candy sticks. Rich Fruit Cake 250g butter, chopped 250g brown sugar 5 eggs 250g plain flour 50g self raising flour 1kg mixed dried fruit 1 /2 cup sherry or brandy 50g slivered almonds 1 tsp vanilla essence Soak prepared fruit and nuts in sherry or brandy overnight, along with vanilla essence. Line base and sides of 20cm cake pan with 3 layers of baking paper, bringing paper 5cm above edge of pan. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beat until creamy. Sift flours, add to mixture, then stir through fruit and nuts. Spoon into prepared pan, bake at approx. 150C for 2 hours or until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out cleanly. Allow to cool in pan before turning out. 16 17

Christmas is a time for sharing Christmas isn t quite Christmas without a traditional Christmas fruit cake. Choose from one of our specially selected light or rich fruit cake recipes or use one of your own favourites. Winter wonderland Stack two 23cm round fruit cakes on top of one another. Brush surface to be iced with sugar syrup. Knead 2kg Orchard Almond Icing and roll out. Lift and drape over the cake. Knead 2kg Orchard White Icing coloured light blue. Roll out, lift and drape over cake. Trim and smooth. Set aside and allow to dry. To decorate, make stars and snowflakes using royal icing. Adhere with sugar syrup and pipe on stipple using royal icing. Position on a board covered with foil and Orchard White Icing. Dust with icing sugar. Helpful hint: Make snowmen or Christmas trees out of Orchard White Icing to decorate your wonderful winter wonderland. Traditional white Christmas cake Use 1kg Orchard Almond Icing and 1kg Orchard White Icing. Cover cake with Almond Icing then White Icing. Trim and smooth. Use sugar syrup to stick ribbon and bow around sides. Use holly and berries to decorate. Pine cones and other decorations for the top of the cake can be easily made using Orchard Icing. 18 19

Happily ever after The most beautiful cake you will ever decorate is a wedding cake. And because of Orchard ready made Icing, you ll quickly discover how easy making and decorating a wedding cake can be. And how rewarding. Here are some beautiful examples and wonderful tips and ideas that are easy to follow for simply spectacular results. 20 Hibiscus beach wedding cake You will need a 25cm round and a smaller 15cm round cake. You will find our Madeira or chocolate cake recipes ideal for this celebratory cake. First cover the 25cm cake with 1.5kg Orchard Almond Icing then top with 1.5kg Orchard White Icing. Push 4 dowels into large cake ensuring they barely reach the top of the icing layer (for stacked cakes refer page 33). Repeat the icing process with the smaller 15cm cake using 500g Almond Icing and 500g White Icing. Place bigger cake on baseboard covered with 250g White Icing and secure using sugar syrup or royal icing as a glue. Place smaller cake on a 15cm baseboard and position on dowels in large cake. Trim base of each cake with ribbon. Secure with double-sided tape. Secure leaves and flowers with sugar syrup. The sand is simply raw sugar. To make flowers use flower modelling paste (page 33) rolled out thinly. To make frangipanis, cut out 10 petals with petal cutter, enough for 2 flowers. Working one petal at a time, gently press finger into rounded end of petal. Dab water at end of each petal point. Roll 5 petals together. Pinch ends to join. Place these in a muffin tray and using your fingers, ease petals open to form a flower. Repeat this process until you have made enough flowers to decorate cake. Use Orchard Green Icing for leaves. Cut leaves using leaf cutter. Mark with a knife and twist slightly. Use Orchard Chocolate Icing kneaded with White Icing for marbled effect and press into chocolate moulds for decorative sea shells. Tiers of happiness Use fruit or chocolate cake. Cover baseboard with Orchard White Icing. You will need 3 round cakes; 25cm, 15cm and 10cm. Cover each cake with Orchard Almond Icing and finish each with a layer of Orchard White Icing. Trim edges with fake pearls. Decorate with fresh or sugar flowers, silk and/or other fabric. Use royal icing or melted Orchard Icing to secure. For stacked cakes and fresh flowers refer page 33. The happy couple Purchase colonnades, ribbon, baseboards and flowers from cake decorating shop. Use two traditional fruit cakes. Cover with Orchard Almond Icing followed by Orchard White Icing. Decorate with piped royal icing, ribbon and bows as shown before assembling. To finish, carefully position 3 colonnades using dowels or skewers for support. Coat top of colonnades with sugar syrup and sit the second tier in position. Helpful hint: Assemble on the day for better results. 21

Contemporary cakes Bon voyage The bottom tier is made using a 28cm x 22cm rectangular cake covered with 1.5kg Orchard Almond Icing and 1.5kg Orchard White Icing mixed with a small quantity of Orchard Chocolate Icing to make the light brown colour. The top tier is a 12cm x 18cm rectangle cake covered in 500g Orchard Almond Icing and 500g Orchard White Icing coloured light blue. The straps and buckles can be cut out of remaining icing and detailed using a toothpick. The labels can be decorated and painted using food colouring and a pencil brush on trimmed White Icing. Buckles are White Icing coloured with silver or bronze coloured food dye. Decorate with a sugar flower of your choice. Gluten Free Fruit Cake Makes 1 x 23cm cake Soak 750g dried fruit in 400ml ginger ale or warm water overnight. Add 3 beaten eggs, 350g gluten free Cake or Baking Mix, 4 tsp gluten free baking powder and 1 tsp mixed spice. Mix well. Transfer to a paper-lined 23cm round tin, bake 1 1 /2 hours at 160-170C or until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out cleanly. 22 23

Contemporary cakes Patterned parcel cake For this parcel cake you will need 25cm square cake (bottom), 20cm square cake (middle) and 15cm square cake (top). Cover the bottom cake in 1.5kg of assorted amounts of Orchard White Icing that has been mixed with Orchard Chocolate Icing to create different shades from dark chocolate to light brown. Cut into strips and different widths to create a superb and stylish contrast. Now place the large cake on a 30cm baseboard covered with 250g Chocolate Icing. For the middle cake cover in 1kg Orchard White Icing coloured pink, using piped royal icing to decorate. Cover the top cake in 500g Orchard Chocolate Icing. Use left over light coloured icing to decorate with bows and trim with icing flowers again made from left over pieces. For more details on stacked cakes please refer to page 33. Rich Vegan Chocolate Cake Makes 1 x 20cm cake Preheat oven 180C. Sift 300g self raising flour and 50g cocoa powder. Mix in large bowl with 300g brown sugar and 1 /2 tsp salt. Make a well in the centre. Add 480ml water, 60ml vegetable oil, 2 tbsp vinegar and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Mix well with wooden spoon until smooth. Transfer mixture to a 20cm/8 inch cake tin. Bake for approx. 45 minutes or until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out cleanly. Cool on wire rack. All Orchard Icings are suitable for vegetarians except Chocolate Icing. 24 25

Contemporary cakes Marble lattice cake This cake certainly looks absolutely spectacular but it s oh-so-easy to make. For the bottom tier use a 25cm round cake and for the top, a 15cm round cake. First cover with 1.75kg Orchard Almond Icing. Partially mix 1kg Orchard White Icing and 1kg Orchard Chocolate Icing until you create a marble effect. Cover both cakes and trim off excess icing. Use leftover icing to make twisted marble icing strips and decorate around the base of the cake and use to completely cover the 25cm baseboard for the bottom cake. Roll out 250g Orchard White Icing into one long rectangle shape. Cut to create lattice effect and drape over cake. Finish with either fresh or makeyour-own icing flowers (for stacked cakes and fresh flowers refer page 33). Sensational! Helpful Hint: You ll find a lattice pastry cutter very handy for this one. They re available from most kitchenware stores. Eggless Sponge Cake Makes 1 x 20cm cake Line two sponge tins with baking paper. Sift 225g self raising wholemeal flour and 2 tsp baking powder into large mixing bowl. Stir in remaining bran from sieve. Stir in 175g caster sugar. Add 6 tbsp sunflower oil, 240ml water and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix well until mixture is smooth. Divide mixture equally between two prepared tins. Bake at 180C for 25-30 minutes. Centre of sponge springs back when cooked. 26 27

Sensational slices thanks to Orchard Oh so simple and satisfying. Here are some great slices perfect for afternoon tea and again, so easy to make thanks to Orchard Icing. Peppermint and chocolate slice Preheat oven at 180C. Grease 20 x 30cm baking tin. Line with baking paper, leaving some hanging over long sides. Sift together 1 3 /4 cups of plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder. Add 1 /2 cup of soft brown sugar. Stir in 180g unsalted melted butter. Press into tin. Bake for 20 mins. Cool. Prepare 500g Orchard White Icing. Add 1 tsp peppermint essence during kneading. Place icing on top of pastry to set. Roll out Orchard Chocolate Icing or you could also use cooking chocolate. If so, chop 300g dark cooking chocolate and 70g unsalted extra butter in heatproof bowl. Melt over boiling water. Don t let the bowl touch the water! Cool slightly and spread and smooth over icing. Chill. Cut into pieces. Really great rocky road Place marshmallows pieces (cut into 2.5cm squares) into lightly oiled lamington tray. Sprinkle 1 /3 cup chopped nuts and 1 /3 cup glace cherries over. Melt 1 /2 cup milk chocolate buttons plus 3 tbsp oil in basin over simmering water. Stir to combine. Cool slightly. Pour mix into tray. While warm, roll out Orchard Chocolate Icing and cover. Allow to set in refrigerator. Cherry slice For base: Lightly grease 20cm x 30cm lamington pan. Combine 1 cup sifted self-raising flour, 1 cup desiccated coconut and 1 cup brown sugar in bowl. Add 120g melted unsalted butter, stir until combined. Press mix into pan. Bake in oven for 10 minutes until browned. For filling: combine 3 /4 cup coconut, 1 /3 cup caster sugar, 200g chopped glace cherries and an egg white in bowl. Mix well. Spread over base and return to oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Roll on Orchard Chocolate Icing. Amazing almond chocolate slice Toast 1 /2 cup almond meal on oven tray until lightly browned. Cool. Toast 1 /3 cup almond kernels in same way. Melt 125g unsalted butter and 60g dark chocolate over hot water. Stir in 3 /4 cup caster sugar, 1 /2 cup water, 1 egg and 1 / 4 cup sour cream. Add 1 /2 cup sifted self raising flour, 1 /2 cup sifted plain flour and toasted almond meal. Spread onto lamington tray. Bake 180C for 30-35 mins. Cool. Prepare Orchard Chocolate Icing and cover slice. Decorate with toasted almond kernels. Slice and serve with coffee. 28 29

Sweet treats by Orchard Orchard is not only suitable for cakes, but you can make smaller treats as well. Try our mouth-watering chocolates and scrumptious sweets. Easy, tasty and a whole lot of fun to do at home yourself! Crazy for chocolates Roll out Orchard White Icing or Chocolate Icing thickly. Add flavour to White Icing, or liqueur to Chocolate Icing for different flavours. Cut out shapes with small cookie cutters. Dip in melted white or diary milk chocolate. Decorate using melted dark chocolate piped through small nozzle. Kahlua chocolate balls Knead 300g of Orchard Chocolate Icing laced with 30ml Kahlua. Break off small pieces the size of walnuts. Roll into balls. Dust with powdered chocolate. Super sweets For delicious sweets, press Orchard Almond Icing into sweet or chocolate moulds. Ensure Almond Icing is well coated with sifted pure icing sugar to stop sweets from sticking. Decorate by painting with food colouring. Cut-off cupcakes Don t waste any left over icing. Use the cut offs to make cupcakes more interesting. Simply slice the top off cupcake and, using a cookie cutter, top with your favourite decorative shapes. The kids will love them! 30 31

You will find 500g Orchard Icing packs in your local supermarket. Orchard s top tips 10. Chocolate and coloured icing When working with chocolate and coloured icing, use sifted pure icing sugar sparingly. Overuse can discolour. Good quality vegetable shortening lightly greased over work surfaces and hands is better. 1. Clean and well dusted Clean bench, utensils and hands between batches of icing. Keep them dry and well dusted with pure sifted icing sugar while working. 2. Knead thoroughly If icing is too firm, remove from the bag, place in oven for 2-3 mins or microwave for 10-15 secs (mind your fingers when you get it out). If too soft, gradually knead in sifted pure icing sugar. 3. Baseboard For a baseboard, wrap paper-backed foil around board and tape underneath. Alternatively, purchase one from a cake decorating store. Cover baseboard or platter with Orchard Icing. 4. Fresh sponge Allow fresh sponge cakes to cool overnight or wrap in plastic and pop in the freezer for a couple of hours. 5. Sugar syrup Stir 2 parts sugar into 1 part cold water until it dissolves. Bring to the boil. Use while syrup is still warm. Can be used as glue for icing layers and decorations. 6. Cut by pressing Cut by pressing cook s knife on icing. Do not pull it along or icing will buckle. 7. Royal icing In a glass bowl, fold in sifted pure icing sugar using a spatula to the white of one egg until peaks form (soft meringue consistency). Add 2 3 drops of lemon juice or acetic acid for a smooth, white icing mixture. 11. Joins You can successfully conceal joins when the icing is freshly rolled before it starts to harden and form a crust provided there is no icing sugar in the join. 12. Buffing or polishing Using a knob of Orchard Icing dusted with sifted pure icing sugar, rub over the iced cake for a smooth dry finish. 13. Writing on icing Practise using a toothpick first. Once you re happy, simply go over with a food dye pen or fine paintbrush using food colouring mixed with clear spirit and a little water. 14. Painting on colours Always use a fine brush. Always mix food colouring with clear spirit such as vodka (3 parts) and a little water (1 part) to avoid runs. You will find an eye dropper ideal to add the spirit and water mix. 15. Handling Orchard Icings Do not leave kneaded icing exposed as it may become dry and unworkable. When setting aside always wrap tightly with plastic wrap. 16. Drying times For best results when using Orchard Icing as underlays, allow to stand for 24-48 hours before applying next layer. 17. Stacked cakes Use wooden dowels to support top tier. Push dowel into bottom cake and mark flush with the top of the cake and cut dowel. Use 3 dowels for round and 4 for square cakes. Repeat process for each tier. You must use a board under each tier, the same size as the cake base to prevent cakes sinking into each other. NOTE Remember to remove dowels BEFORE cutting cake. 32 8. Colouring icing Knead required icing quantity until smooth. Dot food colouring into icing using a toothpick. Knead to blend through. For best results, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 hours before rolling out and applying. When colouring gold use only food grade gold powder. Remember, a little colouring goes an awfully long way. Use sparingly. 9. Fillings Jams can be used as fillings between cake layers, or as glue for sticking icing to the cake instead of sugar syrup. Always boil jam before use. Do not spread chocolate or cream to edge as they can leech and discolour icing. 18. Flowers Flower modelling paste is a great way to achieve very professional results. You may like to refer to a sugar flowers book for detailed instructions on how to make flowers. You can also use fresh flowers for decoration but remember to apply same day and ensure flowers haven t been treated or sprayed with chemicals. For our modelling paste recipe see page 37. QUANTITY GUIDE FOR 1 LAYER Cake Size Icing Qty 6 15cm 500g 7 17.5cm 750g 8 20cm 1000g 9 22.5cm 1250g Cake Size Icing Qty 10 25cm 1500g 11 27.5cm 1750g 12 30cm 2000g Amounts are for square cakes 33

Frequently asked questions Should I wait for my cake to cool completely before applying icing? Yes. How long should the icing be left before applying the next layer? 24 to 48 hours. But what if I want to put a second icing layer on straight away? You can but you must be very careful handling the cake as the first icing layer will be quite soft. Can I put my cake in the fridge? Yes. The cool temperature of the refrigerator will help the icing set however you may need to buff or polish the icing (refer page 33) before presenting the cake or finishing decorating to remove any moisture that may have formed. How do I store the cake once it is finished? Simply store your Orchard iced cake in a cool, dark, dry place covered loosely with a fresh tea towel or breathable cake cover. We do not recommend storing any type of iced cake in sealed containers as moisture levels can rise and adversely affect the cake and icing. In an extremely humid climate, store your finished cake in the oven leaving the oven light turned ON to keep the air dry. How long will Orchard Icing last once it is on the cake? As a rule, the icing will easily outlast your cake. It will keep for up to 12 months once applied to fruit cakes. Other cakes such as Madeira, orange, chocolate and sponge cakes etc should be eaten within a few days. Can I freeze Orchard Icing? Yes, however ensure the cake is tightly wrapped before freezing. Can I freeze my cake once it is iced? Yes, but again wrap in plastic first. Do I always have to use Almond Icing as an underlay? No, however if you are looking for the best finish for your cake, we recommend using Almond Icing before applying a second layer. The Almond Icing is designed to provide the perfect surface in readiness for the final icing layer. Are Orchard Icings suitable for vegetarians? All our Icings except Chocolate are suitable for vegetarians. What type of colours can I use safely? Food grade liquid colours (readily available from supermarkets) and food grade paste colours (from cake decorating stores) are suitable. Refer to page 32 for tips. How do I get black icing? Mix Orchard Green Icing with black food colouring or mix Orchard Green Icing with Orchard Red Icing (60:40 ratio). How long should I knead icing? From 30 sec to 1 min. Just enough to achieve a pliable state. Don t over knead. Which Orchard Icings are gluten free? All our icings are gluten free. Where can I buy Orchard Icing? 500g packs of Orchard Almond, White and Chocolate Icing are readily available from supermarkets almost everywhere. Other Orchard Icings including Red, Green, Bridal White, Ivory and White Chocolate are usually available from better cake decorating suppliers. If you have any difficulty finding our products, simply call our head office or email us for the name and address of your nearest stockist. Do you have larger size cake decorating packs available? Yes, Orchard Icings are also available in 1kg and 3kg Catering Packs. Orchard also supply Vegetable Shortening and Gum Tragacanth in a variety of sizes. Contact Orchard direct for more information. Can I use Orchard Icing for modelling? Yes. Knead sifted pure icing sugar or gum tragacanth into icing. To test whether it s ready for modelling, roll into a small ball and apply light pressure with your finger tip. If there is no imprint, icing is ready. I live in New Zealand. What do I use? Orchard Icing is not available so we recommend Royalty Icing. 34 35

Basic Recipe for Sponge Cakes 4 eggs 50g plain flour 1 /2 tsp baking powder 175g icing sugar, sifted 4 tbsp cold water 50g cornflour pinch of salt Grease and line one deep 20cm round cake pan, or two shallow 20cm cake pans. Preheat oven to 190C. Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a bowl. Add the water and salt to the whites and whisk until very stiff. Add the sugar and mix until fully blended. Add the egg yolks and blend in. Sift the flour, cornflour and baking powder together onto greaseproof paper. Sift half the mixture over the batter and fold in. Sift and fold in remaining mixture. Turn the batter gently into prepared pan(s) and bake for 40 mins or until springy. Bake Swiss roll sponges at 220C for about 8 mins. Light (Madeira) Fruit Cake 185g butter, chopped 130g firmly packed brown sugar 4 eggs 225g plain flour 75g self raising flour 1 /3 cup milk 500g mixed dried fruit 125g mixed peel 125g glace cherries, halved 70g slivered almonds Line base and sides of deep 20cm round cake pan with 3 layers of baking paper, bringing paper 5cm above edge of pan. Combine butter, sugar, eggs, flours and milk in medium bowl of electric mixer, beat on low speed until ingredients are combined. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and changed in colour. Stir in fruit, peel, nuts and cherries, spoon into prepared pan. Bake in a slow oven for about 2 1 /4 hours. Cover hot cake tightly with foil, cool in pan. We would like to thank the following people for their generous assistance in preparing recipes and decorated cakes for this edition of our Orchard Icing Ideas booklet. Robyn Hamilton Special thanks for your assistance with this book Shirley Vass, Landy Kober and June Elliott Special thanks for assistance with our previous editions Alison Johnson WA Billanook College Vic Doncaster Secondary College Vic Finley High School SA Iced Affair NSW Jeevi Buvanenthiran Laura Dempsey Vic Lynne Goodwin Vic Mackillop Catholic Regional College Vic Maggie Davis Maria Thompson Marianne Tonuse Seymour College SA Any Occasion Chocolate Mud Cake Use Orchard Almond Icing as a foundation to Orchard White Icing to enhance the rich flavour of this mouth watering Chocolate Mud Cake. 250g unsalted butter 150g dark chocolate, grated 2 cups brown sugar 1 cup hot water (or 1 /3 1 cups if not using whisky) 3 /4 cup whisky 1 tbsp instant coffee powder 1 /2 1 cups plain flour, sifted 1 /4 cup self raising flour, sifted 1 /4 cup cocoa 2 eggs, lightly beaten Grease and lightly flour a 24cm round cake pan. Preheat oven to 180C. Combine chocolate, butter, sugar, water, whisky and coffee in a double saucepan and cook gently, stirring until smooth. Cool to luke warm. Fold in flours, cocoa and eggs. Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool overnight and then roll out Orchard Icing. Flower Modelling Paste 5 tsp cold water 2 tsp gelatine 1 tbsp white vegetable shortening 400g pure white icing sugar, sifted (take care not to add too much) 3 tsp gum tragacanth 1 large egg white, strained and beaten until frothy 1 tsp liquid glucose Sprinkle gelatine over cold water and allow to stand for 5 mins. Grease large bowl with some of the shortening, add half of the sifted icing sugar and the gum tragacanth and warm over a saucepan of hot water for approx. 10 mins (don t overheat or let the bowl touch the water). Add glucose and half the shortening to the soaked gelatine and dissolve over hot water. Add egg white and gelatine mixture to warm icing sugar and beat at a high speed for approx. 5 mins until mixture is very white. Place remaining icing sugar in a bowl and warm over saucepan of boiling water. Add to mixture, beating all the time. If not using an electric mixer, knead last half of icing sugar into mixture. Remove from beater and knead until cool, rubbing the remaining grease on hands. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator overnight. Next day break off small pieces of paste and knead, paste should be very elastic. Keep small amount to use and freeze remainder, wrapping small pieces individually. The secret of this paste is to knead it well 24 hours after making it. Do not overheat ingredients. A teaspoon of lemon juice added to the ingredients makes a whiter paste. 36 37