cake advice - discolouring zest

[mr steev]

Has anyone got any top tips to make my cakes stay looking good?
I make a coconut and lime cake, which has lime zest sprinkled on the top of an icing made from coconut milk and icing sugar. The cake tastes delicious, but after a day the lime zest starts to discolour.

 

[JimW]

Colour it from the off?

 

[Plumdaff]

Buy or make candied zest for the decoration?

 

[mr steev]

Colour it from the off?

what do you mean?

 

[mr steev]

Buy or make candied zest for the decoration?

I did think about that, but wouldn't candied zest taste different? The taste of the cake does really benefit from the fresh zest on top

 

[Plumdaff]

I did think about that, but wouldn't candied zest taste different? The taste of the cake does really benefit from the fresh zest on top

It's certainly going to be sweeter

 

[Saunders]

Would blanching the zest in thin ribbons work?

 

[JimW]

what do you mean?

Use some darker natural colouring so change doesn't show, quick soak.

 

[RubyToogood]

Eat faster.

 

[iona]

I'd try to keep it out of the air by either combining the zest into the icing, or mixing it with a bit of watered-down icing or a thin lime juice + sugar icing and then pouring that on top of the regular icing (just enough to soak the zest, not so much it's in puddles of liquid)

 

[Callie]

I'd try to keep it out of the air by either combining the zest into the icing, or mixing it with a bit of watered-down icing or a thin lime juice + sugar icing and then pouring that on top of the regular icing (just enough to soak the zest, not so much it's in puddles of liquid)

Lime drizzle cake?

I'm hungry

 

[Sue]

Eat faster.

This is obviously the correct solution. Cake eating FAIL, mr steev.

 

[iona]

Lime drizzle cake?

I'm hungry

Yeah, somewhere between what you'd do for lemon drizzle and making candied zest only without the boiling.

 

[ouirdeaux]

This is obviously the correct solution. Cake eating FAIL, mr steev.

It's like asking what to do with the wine left over in the bottle.

 

[mr steev]

Eat faster.

It's for selling so that's not up.to me, and as much as I love cake, a whole one is a bit much

Lime drizzle cake?

I'm hungry

Yeah, it is a lime drizzle, but with a coconut icing. I could just omit the extra zest, but it really does add to it

 

[mr steev]

It's like asking what to do with the wine left over in the bottle.

It's akin to asking what to do with left overs of a dozen bottles of wine, and I know from experience the 3rd one is rarely a good idea

 

[killer b]

Add the zest freshy grated just before serving

 

[gentlegreen]

vitamin C ?

 

[WouldBe]

It's for selling so that's not up.to me, and as much as I love cake, a whole one is a bit much

Make 2 smaller ones then.

 

[moose]

Lightly dye some desiccated coconut green to sprinkle on top, and mix the lime zest in with it. Be less obvious then.