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Hi Bold Bakers!
Marzipan, also known as almond paste, is a little like Vegemite in that you either love it or don’t. I have grown to love it over the years. Also, it’s used in one of my all time favorites, Swedish Princess Cake. In Ireland, my Easy Homemade Marzipan is used to cover cakes usually around the holidays!
To be honest, as kids, we would peel off the marzipan and royal icing and just eat the fruit cake. Now that my taste buds have matured I eat the whole thing. There is something about almond extract that has me coming back for more!
What Is Marzipan And What is it Used for?
My Easy Homemade Marzipan can be used as a modeling clay to make cake toppers or fun characters, and is easy to mould into any shape you wish. It can be sealed with egg white, or allowed to dry at room temperature for about 48 hours, before finishing the icing. This is particularly suitable for heavy fruit cake like traditional Irish Christmas Cake.
How to Make Marzipan
Making homemade marzipan is just a matter of combining ground almonds, sugar, icing sugar, egg, and almond extract. This creates a rich sweet paste that is packed with nutty flavor. The trick is to only handle it as much as necessary as it can become oily, and this oil can seep through the other layer of decorations you’re working with.
[ You might also be looking for How To Make Royal Icing and my Irish Christmas Cake Recipe! ]
What’s the difference between Marzipan and Frangipane?
While the two recipes are made from similar ingredients, they have very different uses.
Frangipane is often used with baked goods, at the bottom of tarts and galettes, and is also like a liquid and quite loose whereas marzipan can be baked with or used in its raw form and is more like an almond Playdoh — which is perfect for decorating and forming into different shapes.
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Homemade Marzipan (Almond paste)
Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cups (8oz/225g) ground almonds
- 1/2 cup (4oz/115g) sugar
- 1 cup (4oz/115g) icing sugar, sieved
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 2 egg yolk*, fresh or pasteurized (see notes for sub)
Instructions
- First mix both sugars and ground almonds. Do this with a whisk to distribute the sugars well.
- Add the egg and extract and mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients come together. With your fingers, bring the marzipan together. If it seems a little crumbly and dry, add a little more egg.
- Remove from the bowl, and only handle enough to roll to the required shape. Chill before using. It can be kept in the fridge for up to 8 weeks if needed.
- This recipe is large enough to cover a big cake, like my Irish Christmas Cake, or use to make model cake toppers.
Recipe Notes
I’m going to make your marzipan and I am so pleased that you are giving the quantities in grams as well, not just cups. Can’t really get on with cups, ounces fine, but how does one measure a cup of butter??? 🙂 🙂
Hello, Gemma!
I’m curious… Why do you use eggs in your marzipan recipe? (I only know of very fine ground almonds, powder sugar and rose water.)
What does the egg do for the marzipan?
Thank you!
Btw, I always enjoy your recipes! ❤
I was SO pleased when I found this recipe. One of our Chritmas traditions is to make little marzipan fruits for us to eat but this year I was not able to find any marzipan anywhere. Not event he ridiculously expensive kind. Knowing that you had a whole bunch of home-made basic items, I went in search of this and have to say it is outstanding. Mammy Stafford has outdone herself with this recipe. I have made a ball which is sitting in my fridge now to cool down a little to be shaped. WOOHOO! Thank you so much. 🙂… Read more »
Hi Gemma, I wonder if it would work to use almond flour, rather than ground? Asking as that’s all I’ve got in the house at the moment.
Hi Gemma
I’ve just made your marzipan recipe for the first time, normally I buy it, but it’s not the normal marzipan yellow colour, I thought the flour didn’t look right when I bought it but it said almond flour on the tag, any suggestions.
Thanks Ann
Hi Gemma, How come some recipes use egg yolks and some use water? Is it a binder? I’ve eaten cookie dough since 1962 so, that doesn’t bother me. Just wondering if I should serve it to guests. I love marzipan and I’m anxious to use your recipe for that and almond paste. Thanks!
Please could you tell me if I can use condensed milk in place of eggs in your marzipan recipe?
I’m going to try making marzipan for my Christmas cake instead of buying it. Did I hear your video say put in fridge for 8 weeks or UP to 8 weeks? (Sorry, I’m severely hearing impaired)
Happy Christmas!
I am so intrigued! The first I ever heard of marzipan was in college (1980s). A friend of mind who had even more of a sweet tooth than I do — LOL — introduced marzipan candy to me. It was beautiful, made to look like tiny pieces of fruit. And it was good!
I didn’t know it could be this easy. Thanks for the flax egg alternative.
Please can I substitute yogurt or buttermilk for egg yolk in Marzipan