Cake Decorating

I was asked to make a cake for a very special lady's 90th birthday. I had free reign to do anything but she likes purple and flowers I was told. I looked at some designs, websites and magazines but pretty much bought some paint and came up with this myself as I went along!

I thought it would be fun to document the entire process. I probably make celebrations cakes about 2 - 3 times a year so its always helpful to remember what you did and where to improve! Enjoy. If you have any questions or comments from your own experience please use the box below.

I made three 10 inch vanilla sponge cakes in my Invicta tins. Baked for about 40 minutes each on 150 degrees. I let them cool and shaved off any parts that had risen in the oven so that they were all perfectly flat and even. I added buttercream and strawberry Bon Maman jam to a layer each.

Above you can see my scales I got from an antiques market in Leicestershire. I actually ended up using these properly to weigh my ingredients because my trendy John Lewis ones ran out of battery at the crucial stage! Also important is to have a good quality, long and heavy rolling pin for your fondant icing.

All my little bits and pieces - vanilla essence, lavender and green colouring, silver balls, glue, alcohol, brushes and pen.

 

There are my scales that failed me : ( along with icing sugar, self raising and plain flour, baking powder, vanilla essence and golden cane sugar. (And some lucozade in the rack for energy).

 

Invicta tins 10 inch, grease proof paper, cooling racks and a kebab stick for testing that the cakes are cooked properly.

Now the fun part, covered in buttercream, stacked and cooled over night. There is jam in there somewhere too!

My favourite piece of kit...the turntable. I had to roll the white fondant out to about 16 - 17 inches in width to cover the whole cake as it was quite chunky with the 3 layers. Cover hands and arms with flour, lift like a fork lift truck spokes and quickly place centrally on cake. Spin turntable and cut excess off as you go! 

One I made earlier - cover the silver base with a contrasting fondant icing if necessary - I used this olive green colour almost as a 'garden' to then tie in the with floral theme 'growing' from it. When moving the cake, use a palette knife or fish slice type tool to lift quickly and place centrally on board.

My essential tools - small knife for cutting edges of fondant, large for moving the cake around, cake slice and palette knife for buttercream.

I mixed a small amount of the green powder colouring with the alcohol £1.69 for tiny bottle (you can use vodka or gin from home) mix using 5mm brush and paint on as you wish! I did use the pen first to slightly mark on the design but be careful because it can mark and still be seen after painting.

Then I did the same with the purple. Can you spot the error? The green stems were supposed to be the same olive green as the base fondant - oops.

I mixed very thick green royal icing and piped around base of the cake. Wish I had a larger standard nozzle but the only one big enough was this 'star' shaped one which I now think looks a tad 80s!

I made small and tiny purple flowers using a cutter, sprinkled lilac glitter and glued silver balls inside.

See piping around the base and flowers glued on!

A little break for the chef. x

.....and the finished article! With white, then lilac royal icing piped on top!