I'm making a police station cake for DS, please can you give me some pointers?

[CobOnTheCorn]

I am an amateur baker and cake decorator, I only make stuff for my dc so I know some basics but would appreciate some tips from you more exerienced people.

I have lurked on some of the sugarcraft chats a while ago and seen some of the marvellous creations you have made.

So this is what I'm going to attempt but without the helicopter.

So, first the cake itself - it needs to be quite large, can anyone share a foolproof recipe for a vanilla sponge that won't crumb too much. Mine often dry out so this time I'm going to make 2 or 3 think cakes and layer them.

I'll sandwich them together with a bit of jam and buttercream then coat completely with buttercream.

I haven't made a two-tiered cake before but I have some rods. How may should I use and how far above the bottom layer should they poke out?

I think I'll cut the black shapes for the roof first and stick those on, then wrap the white paste around. For the brick imprints I'm thinkking of using a rule for the horizontal lines and maybe a mdeling tool for the vertical lines or perhaps the back of a plastic knife.

Hopefully a few more rectangles for doors etc and it'll be sort of recogniseable when I add Lego police and their vehicles.

What have I missed? Will I need a vat of buttercream, what is best to stick the doors on with - vodka?.

Thanks if you made it this far!

Any tips gratefuly received!

Stealth is amazing. Her cakes are Delia approved don'tcha know ;)

I'm not the only one that can claim that

You are both way better than Delia!

The cake is done. I'll post a picture when I work out how to. It definitely looks home made and there are things I have learned that are now to late to correct. But DS loves it and thinks it's "wonderful" and that is good enough for me.

Blatherskite you can take the credit for bringing stealth to the thread. I owe you a finders fee!

Well yes, but I still maintain that you were the one that deserved it.

Cob I'll take my fee in cake please

That's why I like making cakes for DC. I /you look at a finished cake and see all the things that could have been done differently /better. They look at it and think "wow. My Mummy made that. For me"

I have tons of cake and would gladly share it with you if you're anywhere near Brighton.

I've tried to add a photo but it seems to be upside down. I think making a cake and uploading a cake is beyond my limit!

Thank goodness I'm on the netbook and not the PC - I can turn my netbook upside down

I looks good Cob, well done. So glad your DS loved it too

Certainly easier than standing on your head!

Well done cobonthrcorn, if thats your first attempt you should be really pleased with yourself, if its sny help keep practising and you will get better, i only started back up last yr and after the wedding cake i made(pic on my profile) my confidence has soared,after that i feel ready to tactle anything,.ha ha well within reason.

Thanks nanny very kind of you to say. I made a few cakes last year but I didn't have a 6 week old baby then!