Cake people this way please!

[BupcakesandCunting]

I am attempting to make my first "proper" birthday cake for DS's 5th party this weekend. I usually just do a Victoria sponge and chuck frosting and Smarties at it but I am doing a proper iced jobby this time.

I have questions:

1. Can I just do a normal Victoria sponge and ice it with ready to roll Regalice stuff? Will the sponge be OK iced or do I need to make something more sturdy?

1. I'll be cutting shapes out of coloured icing and sticking them to the cake. What's the best 'glue' to use? I was thinking icing sugar/water?

1. How do you avoid getting fingerprints all over the icing?!

I probably have more questions...

We have moved this to our shiny new baking topic now.

You can also (if you are on Pinterest) have a look at the MN account where there is space for MNetters cake pics it is a bit lonely atm...

Oh no, no sod will see it in here and my cake will be crap :(

I have no useful advice but bumping for you.

BUGGER OFF SPAMMER!

Unless you have any decent cake recipes/tips, in which case, stay.

"Oh no, no sod will see it in here and my cake will be crap"

I've seen it :)
No advice, but couldn't resist looking at a new topic!

Moved without wven one post

I shall try to help but I am by no means an expert!

1. I have used sponge cake an ready to roll icing before and it worked great

1. I have also done the Icing sugar/water glue before and it worked out okay but not fantastic. (held it in place well I think it was possibly my technique, having said that I would do it again)

1. To get rid of finger prints rub the cake with the flat of your hand to make it nice and smooth.

hope that helps and that someone who knows will be along soon.

good luck

oh x posts

Thank you, CafPow. That is helpful :)

When you do you reckon is the earliest I can make the cake if the party is on sunday?

Bupcakes,

I've found the best cake for icing, that is quite like a Vicky Sponge is one from here, in recipies, that has orange juice/vegetable oil in it. Umm think it was called 'yellow cake'

If you are going to cover with ready made regalice, would suggest a buttercream coating first to help the regalice stick.

When I want icing to stick to icing I use vodka - don't worry, you wont turn DS into an alkie!

Roll out the icing bigger than what it has to cover. Drape it over and use whole flat hands to smooth it down. If you have tears you can squish up some icing and work it over the holes - as if you were plastering, do you get what I mean?

I find regalice easier than buttercream, but a practice run may be a good idea.

Does any of this help?

(Oh and pics on my profile of some of my cakes - I'm in no way a professional, but a bit of imagination goes a long way, even if you have no skill - DDs 4th bday cake was my first cake EVER, and it went down pretty well)

A victoria sponge is fine and what I generally use. I cover it in a layer of buttercream then pop it in the fridge for a while before covering it with the fondant. I would use normal icing to stick the shapes on, but make it quite thick and use sparingly or it will glob out of the sides. As I use sieved icing on my board to roll out on I generally end up with white dust and finger prints on the outside, I brush the worst off gently with my hand, but find that once the cake has been in a tin for a few hours the fondant tends to "absorb" the dust.

Hope that helps, but feel free to keep asking, I have only learnt through trial and error so might be able to spare you one of my blunders!

Sorry, xposts. I will try and get some piccies up as well.

1. Victoria sponge under ready to roll icing is fine.

1. I use a blob or two of writing icing for sticking, you can buy boxes of a few colours in little tubes so then you can match the colour of the icing to the glue.

1. Fingerprints, hmm well they don't usually show up that much, rub gently if they do, with a tiny bit of water. Clean hands, washed regularly, and especially between changes of icing colour. If you brush glycerine over the finished cake, it keeps it soft and makes it very glossy, which hides any fingermarks.

Also try to touch the icing as little as possible, as like pastry, it doesn't like too much handling, it dries it out and makes it harder to work with.

What shape/design are you doing?

I would politely ask bully and threaten Dh to entertain the kids keep them the fuck away from me all day on saturday and do it all in one go then (you would need to account for time for the cake to cool properlly as you can't ice it warm)

If you are colouring the icing you can do that before as it will be fine wrapped in clingfilm untill you are ready for it, that allows you to go buy more if you fuck up the colour the first time.

Agree with them two...

I use one of those squeezy toothpaste tubes of icing <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=Dr+Oetker+icing+tube&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1R2ADFA_enGB460&biw=1280&bih=812&tbm=isch&tbnid=LLRHijtZ3maPAM:&imgrefurl=deco-den.livejournal.com/295437.html&docid=2X0M4R962WgSjM&imgurl=www.greatbritishfood.de/allbritish/prodpic/Dr-Oetker-Blue-Designer-Icing-DRODICBL_b_0.JPG&w=224&h=600&ei=03KWT93xCILU8gOI74HXBQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=749&sig=110020670200233819603&page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=54&start=0&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0,i:77&tx=40&ty=106" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Like this to stick stuff on other stuff.

A cake with some buttermilk will also give you a "heavier" cake which is more likely to be able to stand up to the icing. look here

Fingerprints? Wash your bloody hands woman!

x posted ffs

Bupcakes, if it work, this is the recipe I was thinking of - it makes a good, bouncy, firm cake that can be shaped, iced very well. HERE

Oh and if party is on sunday, I would make the cake Thu so you can ice it on Fri giving lots of time to get it wrong!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is all very helpful! Writing icing to stick things on makes sense. Eve, your cakes are brilliant! :)

I can't actually do it on saturday as it is my nephew's birthday party so will be at that all day. I was hoping I could do it as early as thursday then just decorate on saturday night...

Shirley, I don't know if you know this but washing hands doesn't make your fingerprints go mate. Otherwise burglars of the world wouldn't wear gloves they'd just wash their hands before going on a robbing spree you daft bat

I want to make DS2's christening cake, so hopefully I can pick up some tips. We made DS1's birthday cake and it was good for a first attempt, but I'd like to do better with the christening cake.

We used madeira sponge for DS's birthday cake, and that worked well

Oooh Eve that recipe looks easy. I might give that a go actually as I won't have to fill it

The only thing is: what do 'cups' translate to? Are we talking teacups/mugs?

How are you planning on decorating it?

my top tip is to make the cake whenever, wrap in tinfoil and then FREEZE til you are ready to ice. Take it from freezer about 20 mins before - and it makes it very easy to cut and trim if you need to. Plus saves waiting on a cake cooking and cooling!

You need to do a Madeira cake, will also last for at least a week after cutting.

Cups are a funny thing, you have to look up the specific ingredient to get the correct conversion (or buy a set of cups!) I know this through bitter experience.

I made this mix to go in an intricate tin as it gives a heavier, but tasty cake

I have heard that too Ann but never tried it. Its supposed to leave you with a moister cake too.