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Original poster

Please come and help a novice! Icing advice needed!

21 replies

PinkSippyCup · 23/08/2013 17:50

Hello all Smile

I'm making DD's first birthday cake and really need some help! I've made cakes before, but not really decorated one and starting to feel the pressure!

Ok so is the kind of thing I'm aiming for.

I'm going to order one of these moulds Here and was thinking I would either bake two cakes and then sandwich them together? Or just one and cut it in half?

The part I'm most worried about is the icing. Is something like This the kind of thing I need to ice the cake?

And last question.. How do I use These ? Do I just lay some fondant in them Confused

I really want to get it right for DD (yes I do know she's a baby and wont give a toss either way!) please help me!

OP posts:
showerhead · 23/08/2013 19:02

if you're a novice i would not recommend that cake as your first foray into cake decorating as icing that shape with fondant/sugarpaste isn't that easy . I would rethink, maybe go for a round cake- far easier to smooth on the sugarpaste , decorate in whatever style you wish and then cut out a number 1 from sugarpaste and lay it on top. You also save the money from the tin to put towards something else. I've just googled 1st birthday cakes and there are some interesting ones on there to inspire.

I don't know how the moulds work- sorry. If your heart is set on the 1 you can also make that shape by cutting a large cake and sticking it back together with buttercream. Have a look in your local library- they usually have plenty of cake decorating books that show clearly what to do.

Blueboys2009 · 23/08/2013 19:06

I did a number one cake like this for DS's first birthday.

My tin (hired from cake shop) was quite large and took a lot of cake mix (8 or 10 egg mix). I just made one cake, sliced it in half very carefully and filled with jam and buttercream.

And then I took the easy option for covering it - just covered it in buttercream icing all over and then added lots of smarties. It looked pretty cool, and so much easier than dealing with fondant icing/sugarpaste!

For flowers/decorations, you could just get some cutters more like these

MikeLitoris · 23/08/2013 19:11

I wouldnt bother with a mould or tin.

I make numbers in 2 large rectangular tins. Let them cool and sandwich together.

I print out a large A4 number one. Trace it on to greasproof paper and cut out.

Put a really thin layer of butter cream on the top of the cake and cut around the paper.

I agree covering in fondant might be tricky if your not used to it but as your putting flowers on it you could cover any imperfect bits.

Alternatively you could pipe buttercream all over instead. I did this with two massive cakes I had to do in a rush recently. It looked really good.

MikeLitoris · 23/08/2013 19:14

Couple of other things.

You would probably be better buying white icing and colouring it yourself. Those packs you linked to are quite small.

And the moulds are not as easy to use as they look. There are much easier cutters to use. Like plunger ones.

nannycook · 23/08/2013 21:15

Pink, sounds like you have enough time to practise a few things before you do it for real, the moulds are good as long as you used them before as they can be tricky and they end up looking clumsy, i have alot of them myself, but i agree with Mike use cutters, plungers, etc, theres loads out there, i've just put my daughters cupcakes on my profile with lots of flowers if thats whats your looking for.

nannycook · 23/08/2013 21:25

If you have a cake decorating shop anywhere near you should possibly buy the bigger packs of fondant, they come in 2kg pack then buy a pot of colouring and colour it yourself, and you'll have more than over to make your decs.Those packs cost about £ 1.60, i do buy them if i want a particular colour or i'm being lazy. Any help you need just ask.

MikeLitoris · 23/08/2013 21:40

Yes I buy the red and black icing. So much easier than trying to mix it.

I buy the big packs of white from asda. Its only £2 amd colours fine.

Slight hijack. Where do you get your supplies Nanny? Not many cakey shops in S.Wales is there?

bakingaddict · 23/08/2013 21:54

If you are going to colour a big block of fondant icing yourself then i'd recommend to get some gel based food colours instead of the water based ones they sell in the supermarkets. I've got some Wilton ones and a tiny amount really goes a long way

nannycook · 23/08/2013 22:11

Sorry Pink, gotta reply to Mike, you buy fondant from asda??? Why on earth do i pay so much for mine.then? I buy covapaste which i gather is expensive about £7.50 A kg pack, really nice stuff tho.In.the town where i work there is a small cake decorating shop (she has a few things, i use her if i'm desperate, but the normal.one is use is about 2miles away from.me, his shop is like Arkwrights shop, very small but stocks absolutely everything, i think he sees me coming, every week i go in there i spend £20-30, he even looks like him, ha ha.good advice tho and i spend ages in there picking his brains.

MikeLitoris · 23/08/2013 22:56

Asda fondant is perfectly fine for most cakes. I would stick to covapaste for weddings or extra special cakes.

I either buy on line or go to wedding acrylics in nant garw. Im so glad I dont have a shop too close. I would be bankrupt in no time!

nannycook · 24/08/2013 08:06

Mike, i didnt know you were so close to me, the shop i'm talking about is in Ystrad Mynach, Finishing Touches. Where abouts are you then? I've also been to that shop in Nant Garw, not as good though, when i asked the young girl working there about something, bless her she didnt have a clue.

MikeLitoris · 24/08/2013 10:50

Im in cardiff. There are a few little shops but not any really good ones. I tend to buy online mostly.

RobotHamster · 24/08/2013 11:11

If you're worried about using fondant you could always cover in buttercream and then do something like this

Prob not what you're looking for, but its a lot easier and can be very effective. Just an idea :)

Original poster
PinkSippyCup · 24/08/2013 11:40

Thank you all so, so much for all your responses! Really help me a lot. Smile

Robot (and other posters who suggested it) using butter cream then sweets looks great. I think I will try that idea.

Her birthday isn't until October so I have plenty of practise time to try out some ideas.

Thanks again Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
PinkSippyCup · 24/08/2013 11:41

Helped*

OP posts:
Purple2012 · 24/08/2013 11:49

I got a cake pan that does lots of different numbers and letters for £23 from amazon. Can't link as on phone but put large numbera letters cake pan in search bar. Its a rectangular tin with squares you move around to make different letters and numbers.

nannycook · 25/08/2013 09:13

Purple, thats sounds a cracking tin to have, would solve alot of peoples problems on how to cut numbers.

Imnotaslimjim · 25/08/2013 11:40

Don't bother with a tin, I use this template to make numbers! and if you're doing buttercream and sweets, its even easier

Have fun, I love doing them

voscar · 31/08/2013 08:01

I've done two of these cakes for my sons birthday and it was my first attempt at cake making. One was for his party and the other for a cake smash. The butter cream smarties cake was incredibly easy. The fondant icing one, not so much. But it was a fair first effort.

I will try to post pictures

voscar · 31/08/2013 08:02

And the fondant one. Took ages!

nannycook · 01/09/2013 08:08

Thats very good.

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