Need advice on baking a marzipan cake

[JenGeorgie1]

Hello all and thank you SO MUCH, in advance.

I am new to baking - as in baking & cake decorating are something that I've wanted to explore for a while now and this is really my first forray - but we all have to start somewhere, right?

Anyway, it's my Mother's birthday so I thought I'd bake her a cake as she's very difficult to shop for, but as it turns out she's been craving a marzipan cake. I'm pretty sure she means one covered/frosted with marzipan (I have vague memories of having this at a local bakery as a child?) but am not sure. I originally had in mind a simpler layer cake with raspberry or cream filling or both but I don't know much about marzipan so I'm in need of advice on cake type, fillings, flavors & other frosting. I've seen recipes for marzipan (almond flavored) cake that sounds denser than more traditional sponge type cake, but would that be a really heavy cake with the marzipan topping? Would traditional cake hold up to/ pair well with the marzipan? Also, it sounds like I need a crumb layer first, but I also see recipes for marzipan with chocolate ganache, for example. Does anyone ever frost over marzipan? I'm a little lost with the marzipan, as you can see!

Sorry for the long post and thank you for any thoughts or advice!

(I am cheating and getting the marzipan itself from a local bakery.)

 

[ChesterV]

Like chocolate cake has hundreds (if not thousands) of variations, there are hundreds of variations for marzipan cake too.

Without knowing what it is you really want in a cake, will depend on how the marzipan will be used.

There are cakes with marzipan filling, marzipan frosting, or cake make from marzipan, or special cakes with marzipan bottoms on them.

As for type of cake, its all preference. If you like the heavy cake, make that. If you like the lighter cake, make that.


This is a recipe I came across when I googled "marzipan cake"....
http://www.food.com/recipe/marzipan-cake-55251