The trick involves dealing with the squishiness of the almond paste. You don’t want it to go soft in your hand, and you don’t want it to glom up the cutting surface of your grater. Well, really the trick is to put the almond paste in the freezer for a while to firm up, so that it can be grated.

How do you break up almond paste?

Crumble the almond paste into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and process, using quick pulses, for 45 seconds or until broken down.

How do you spread almond paste on cake?

To Apply to Cake Roll out almond paste on a board dusted with icing sugar large enough to cover the entire cake. Gently ease around the cake and smooth over with palm of hands until smooth all over. Leave for two days before covering with white icing.