ReceptnaptárRedcurrant cake icing
Redcurrant glaze is a quick home version of the classic pastry-shop fondant glaze. Older recipes first cooked a sugar base (fondant), which needed a sugar thermometer and a practised hand. Today you can make a perfectly glossy glaze from icing sugar in a few minutes. Redcurrant's fresh tartness is a good counterpoint on chocolate cakes and raisin-and-walnut bakes.
Open in Receptnaptár — serving calculator, cook mode, save
Ingredients
Method
Tap a step once you've finished it.
- Sift the icing sugar through a fine sieve into a small saucepan or heatproof bowl so no lumps remain. The cake should be completely cool, with the top levelled.
- Press the redcurrant jam through a small sieve to remove seeds and bits of skin, then stir it into the icing sugar until smooth.
- Warm the saucepan over low heat or over hot steam, stirring constantly, to no more than 40-45 °C (a finger should still tolerate it comfortably). Any hotter and the glaze turns dull and loses its shine.
- Melt in the butter or cream, then add hot water a teaspoon at a time until the glaze is thick but flows slowly off the spoon in a ribbon. If it is too thin, sift in more icing sugar.
- Pour the glaze in one go onto the middle of the cake, then spread it evenly with the flat of a knife so it runs nicely down the sides. If you want the sides covered too, first brush them thinly with buttercream or jam.
- Let the glaze set for 15-20 minutes until it forms a glossy skin, then slice. Dip the knife in hot water and wipe it before each cut so the glaze does not crack.
Based on: Malatinszky Fanny szakácskönyve (a classic Hungarian cookbook), modernised. Calories and protein are estimated.
Tips
- Pour the glaze while lukewarm over a fully cooled cake, ideally one that has rested overnight, so it does not melt into the filling.
- Always sift the icing sugar, otherwise the finished glaze will be lumpy and matte.
- The fruit glaze has a lovely pink colour, but the acidity and sugar of jam vary, so add the water only a teaspoon at a time.
- The shine comes from the little butter or cream, so do not skip it.
Frequently asked questions
Can the glaze be made ahead?
Making it ahead is not recommended because it forms a crust. If you must, seal it airtight and re-warm it gently over steam, stirring, before use.
What if the glaze cracked or turned matte?
It was too hot or too stiff. Stir in a teaspoon of hot water and re-warm gently, below 40 °C.
Can I use another jam?
Yes, cherry, raspberry and strawberry all work well. Sieve each one so the glaze is smooth.
Similar recipes
- Linzer tartlets with redcurrant jam · Hungarian
- Soaked apples (mochenye yabloki) · Russian
- Linzer Torte (Linz tart with almond pastry and redcurrant jam) · German
- Punch slices, another way · Hungarian
- Redcurrant syrup for sorbet · Hungarian
- Rote Grütze mit Vanillesoße (northern red berry pudding with vanilla sauce) · German
More hungarian ideas
- Choux fritters (toló-fánk)
- Cinnamon pastry strips (fahéjas fánk)
- Little cream-coated fritters
- "Shaggy" choux puffs (borzas fánk)
- Chocolate fritters
- Coffee cream puffs
- "Drunken young ladies" (részeg kisasszonyok)
- Strasbourg yeast buns
How to use it · Privacy (in Hungarian) · Legal notice (in Hungarian) · Editorial principles (in Hungarian) · Cookie settings