Birthday cake

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

I'm not the most confident or skilled baker but have had to learn to produce reasonable cupcakes and birthday cakes as DD2 is dairy intolerant. Last year for her birthday, I over stretched myself somewhat and made a novelty cake but swore never again to do anything as ambitious (it tasted and looked fine but I was completely stressed!) so this year I bought a handmade fondant cake topper that goes with her birthday theme from eBay (her birthday is on St George's Day so we're going with a knights and dragons theme.)

So the cake topper has arrived and looks great but now I'm wondering if it will look silly on my standard chocolate fudge birthday cake. Should I be icing with fondant instead? Will that mean a change of cake inside? (Have never made Madeira only sponge cake). And... DDs are really into popping candy at the moment, so had a mad notion to incorporate that into the icing somehow. Is that even possible?

Thank you for any suggestions/advice!

I put a dinosaur fondant topped on DS's buttercream iced cake and it look really good (though I say so myself). Just take a bit of time to get the top of the icing nice and flat, then smooth the fondant gently all over and it will look lovely.

Not sure about the popping candy - I think that moisture makes it pop so it couldn't be mixed into the icing. Maybe add a sprinkle as you serve?

Good luck.

Thanks Pip. Did you cover the whole cake with a layer of fondant over your buttercream? And what kind of cake did you use? Sorry for all the questions!

I made a dark chocolate sponge and covered it all over with white chocolate buttercream (coloured orange because that's what DS wanted). Then I put the cake topper on top of that. It had elements of green and orange so tied in really nicely.

I didn't put fondant over the whole cake because none of us especially like it, more buttercream and less fondant in out house.

I've tried to include a picture - not sure it it will work though.

Sounds yum! I can't see the pic but could be because I'm on the app at the moment. Thanks Pip! I totally agree re buttercream tasting better than fondant but can't do white chocolate (or indeed butter) with the dairy issues, so I'd be doing a dark chocolate fudge topping (which looks like chocolate buttercream). I think I will go with that though rather than faff about with fondant that's only there for aesthetic reasons. Thanks for your help Pip!

Sounds like it will be lovely. Make sure you take a picture before everyone tucks in .