Princess castle cake for dd Where do I start!!

[champagnemum]

my dd is 4 in a few weeks and wants a pink princess castle cake that is sparkly! I am ok at baking but have only really make the odd Victoria sandwich cake and cupcakes. My auntie makes all the cakes in the family so I know she will do this one but I really want to have a go myself (or get her to help me!) I am thinking of having a square cake on the bottom and then a smaller square on top with ice cream cones as the turrets. The icing will obviously be pink but I don't know whether this should be fondant or buttercream.
Can anyone give me some ideas or advice as to how to decorate the cake and what equipment I will need. Thanks

[SpannerPants]

You can make a castle cake with shop-bought cakes - 4 swiss rolls with icecream cones on top for turrets (1 in each corner) joined by 4 thin madeira cakes for the walls, all covered liberally with bought frosting (or buttercream) and decorated with pink sparkle sugar.

[geraldinetheluckygoat]

You will need to put the top cake on a thin cake board, and dowel the bottom cake so that the top one rests on the dowels rather than sinks into the bottom cake.

either buttercream or fondant would work, use whichever you feel more confident with.

Mini marshmallows round the top edges for the crenelations would work. Use green sweetie laces for vines, then buy little icing flowers from the supermarket to stick along them. Get a square or circle cutter to cut out fondant shapes for windows and edge them again with mini marshmallows.

Make little paper flags and stick on coctail sticks to stick into top of turrets.

use bright green buttercream on the board and stick flowers on it for grass, and cut out yellow fondant circles up to the door, for stepping stones.

good luck :)

[thestringcheeseincident]

look at this, I did it for dd last year.
I didn't use the pre made stuff, just my own vanilla cakes and pink buttercream.
Easy peasy.

[thestringcheeseincident]

sorry here.

[champagnemum]

Thank you so much some great ideas!! I am planning on making the cakes a few days prior to the party (it's on a Sunday) then decorating on the Friday or Saturday. My auntie is coming over to help me so I am sure between us we can make a great cake! Thanks again x

[babyocho]

Lots of good ideas and write ups on how to here