Serves 12
Preparation time 1 hour
2 pudding-basin Madeira Cakes (see page 10)
½ quantity Vanilla Butter Icing (see page 120)
2 tablespoons smooth apricot jam
1 large ready-made muffin
1½ quantities Royal Icing (see page 10)
25 g (1 oz) orange ready-to-roll icing
15 g (½ oz) black ready-to-roll icing
50 g (2 oz) red ready-to-roll icing
25 g (1 oz) yellow ready-to-roll icing
icing sugar, for dusting
Sandwich the cakes with the butter icing to make the snowman’s body and stand upright on a cake board or plate. Spread jam thinly all over the outside of the cakes to stick the crumbs in place. Press the muffin on to the body so that its domed part forms the snowman’s face. Spread the muffin with the remaining jam.
Cover the cakes completely with royal icing, spreading with a round-bladed knife and pulling it into peaks with the back of the knife.
Knead the ready-to-roll icing on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar until slightly softened, keeping the colours separate. Shape an orange carrot nose and black pebble eyes, a black mouth and black buttons. Press on to the snowman. Shape half the red icing into a round and press on to the snowman’s head for a hat. Use a strip of yellow icing as a hatband.
Shape the rest of the yellow icing into a rope 18 cm (7 inches) long. Repeat with the remaining orange and red icing. Twist together, roll out to flatten and trim to a 36 x 2.5 cm (14 x 1 inch) scarf. Make small cuts in either end for a fringe, then wrap around the snowman. Re-knead and roll out the trimmings, fringe one side, then roll up and add to the top of the hat for a bobble. Dust with sifted icing sugar for freshly fallen snow.
For lemony snowman, omit the royal icing and instead make up 1 quantity of Vanilla Butter Icing (see page 120), omitting the milk and adding 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the mixture. Use to sandwich the cakes and to cover the snowman. Otherwise, prepare as above.