I'm about to ice my first ever birthday cake and too scared to start. what do I need to do?

[virgiltracey]

DS1s party is at the weekend. I have made the cake and now need to ice it. Where do I start?? I'm really nervous and worried it is going to be a disaster!!

Oh, first in!

Well, I know you've got a rectangular board. I assume your cake is too? What are your plans?

Have you bought icing/sugar paste? And how complicated is the cake design (iced square cake or R2D2 cake?)

Ha ha!!

Right sorry had to go and put the animals away and so first thing (nice clean kitchen and hands) also done!

Its really not complicated (although still scary) I have made two cakes which I want to try to put side by side to make a bigger cake. Do I need to stick them together or can I just place them next to each other?

Then I literally want to cover in plain icing. Its star wars and I have made.. wait for it....lego stormtroopers out of icing to put on top of the cake and then I'm goign to cheat on the rest and use a toy AT-AT walker since that was never going to happen with my skills any other way. I need to add some black detailing on the stormtroopers but that's fine. I practised on play dough!!

Its the covering of the cake with the icing bit that is scary. I've bought a blcok of fondant icing and I want to cover the cake completely. I'm worried it will tear or else that it will crack once its on. Do I stick it down with anything?

Help!!

Dr Oetker regal-ice ready to roll icing if that helps!!

OK. Cakes side by side should be fine, but I would recommend whipping up some butter icing and stick them together. You'll need butter icing to put all over the cake for the icing anyway. (Disclaimer: This is what I do. Not necessarily right, but it works for me!)

As long as you don't roll the icing too thin, mending splits is easy. You just rub lightly with a finger and the split should disappear.

Sounds fab, btw!

Oh, that wasn't very clear! I meant thin layer of butter icing all over cakes, before putting the roll out icing on top!

how thin is not too thin and what is the best way to lift it? Really worried it'll split.

when I get to the bottom do I wrap it under the bottom to seal it or is it better to cut it flush with the board. Or is it better to make like a lip at the bottom??

Maureens advice is brill, you need to join the cakes together, then put a thin layer of buttercream over the lot (thin enough to still see the cake underneath) this is called a crumb coat and gives you a nice smooth top

The icing should be about 4mm thick, if you can lift it without tearing then its right. fold it over the rolling pin then drape over the cake. Start at one long edge, then roll it out over the top and down the other side. Smooth the top with the palm of your hand, then do the corners, then the sides. If you do the sides first, the corners will pleat

Cut the icing flush with the board then either pipe an icing boarder or pin a piece of ribbon onto the cake

Hope that helps!

Right.... here goes!!!!!

You're worrying too much! Your DS will be thrilled with it, whatever happens!

Anyway, I would say, no less than about 1cm thick. It's so difficult to tell you exactly, as I've been doing it for years and want to say 'that thick' and show you with my finger and thumb!

Personally, when I have draped the cake with icing, I would cut roughly round the edge, but not to close. Then, work it in, until it's neat. (If it all goes very wrong, a cheat I have used, is to finish it with a roll of icing all the way round. (like a long sausage all the way round). Makes a perfectly acceptable finish.

Use a rolling pin to lift it off the work surface. Treat it like pastry, I suppose.

Use either icing sugar or cornflour on your work surface and rolling pin, btw.

ok its done but have a few problems. the corners in particular seem to have pulled - kind of like they have stretch marks!!

anything I can do to correct this?

sorry I've only just seen your reply

Just rubbing them with the palm of your hand, dusted with icing sugar, hould smooth it out. I wouldn't worry too much though, I'm sure your son will be thrilled with it

Hope you managed to sort the stretched corners! I know exactly what you mean! And yes, just simply rub them away.

Hope you're pleased with it!