First Birthday Cake

I've bought a new cake decoration book recently called Cressida Bell's Cake Design. I'd really recommend it if you are looking for something a bit different. She is actually a textiles designer and I think it's that background which makes her cake designs really original. She uses edible decoration to achieve her designs, so although the designs can be time-consuming, they are easily achievable for any amateur (me!). It was Emma's first birthday this week so Vicky asked that I bake her a 'spotty themed' birthday cake. Yippee, the perfect chance to try a Cressida Bell inspired cake. I went a bit mad...

The cake itself was a plain sponge. I baked two and sandwiched them together with strawberry jam and buttercream. To create a crumb barrier between the icing and the cake I then covered the whole cake in strawberry jam and a layer of marzipan. This also creates a smooth base for the roll-out  icing - I used white. 

Using various sizes of circular cookie cutters, I then lightly pressed them into the surface of the icing to give a template for laying on the decorations. To stick the smaller decorations to the cake I used a clean paintbrush and edible glue. For the larger decorations I used icing sugar and water to create a thick paste. Sticking icing to icing simply requires a little water.

Now onto the decorations, what did I use? I had coloured roll out icing in pink, blue, yellow, green and orange. I rolled it out thinly with a rolling pin and sprinkled cornflower to prevent sticking. The cookie cutters again came in handy to cut out the circles I required. I also rolled out icing 'sausages' by hand to add a ring of an alternate colour around the outside of some of the circles.

I used chocolate m&ms to add additional decoration and colour. The bonus was, as the red and brown m&ms didn't match my colour scheme, the lovely Tim and I enjoyed a bit of a scoff.

I also used some cake decorating sprinkles and sugar balls. The large flower in the picture above is formed by four sugared almonds, a yellow m&m and blue sugar 'glass' (bought at Waitrose).



I also used large white chocolate circles covered in multi-coloured hundreds and thousands, bought at the local sweet shop. Really there was no plan, I just bought anything that took my fancy.

 

Finally, here is the birthday girl enjoying her cake (she wasn't actually that keen!). She even blew out her birthday candle - a child genius for sure.

 

 

Happy Birthday Emma, love Auntie Sally

xxx

 

 

 

 

Christmas Tree Christmas Cakes

I've finished my Christmas Cakes! Woo woo! I can rest easy for another year. It's funny, although I make six cakes, I don't keep any for myself - they're all gifts. One for my colleagues, one for Tim's colleagues, one for my Mum and Dad, one for Tim's Mum and Dad, one for my Auntie and Uncle and one for my Dad's best friend. Not really sure how that happened!!

To finish these cakes is pretty easy. I use royal icing which is the traditional icing and sets hard. I used a spatula to dollop the icing onto the marzipanned cake.

I spread the icing over the top of the cake first, then the sides. Trying to spread it the icing evenly and ensuring no yellow of the marzipan is peeping through is the hardest bit.

 

I like to go for a snowstorm effect for my Christmas Cakes (because it's easiest!). I just use the flat of the spatula and tap the cake, the icing sticks an gets pulled into peaks as you pull away. See snowy?!

 

 

Then just stick your decorations onto the wet royal icing. Easy.

 

 

 

 

Icing The Icing

I used icing sugar, a piping bag and a 1.5mm nozzle to add some extra decoration to the Icing Christmas Trees, that I'd cut out yesterday. I decided to stick with white icing as it really stands out from the green background. I also stuck the yellow stars on the top of some of the trees with a blob of the icing.

 

I didn't have any particular design in mind when I started to pipe so some patterns have turned out better than others. The overall effect is quite striking though so that's good.

 

 

Not so good - my hand is killing me from squeezing the piping bag for a couple of hours. Ow ow ow. Oh well, no pain no gain etc.