Icing help please

[lottytheladybird]

Hello!

I need to make a birthday cake for my 2-year old son in a couple of weeks' time and I'd really like to make him some lovely farm animals to go on top of his cake. I don't know anything about icing and need help! What do I need in order to make all these animals and what about the icing covering for the cake, which I'd like to be green?

Any advice would be most gratefully received! Thank you!

If you make a buttercream icing you can make it look spiked like grass. Really easy as you dint need to worry about it being smooth or uniform. Use gel colouring not liquid, Aldi had some in last week.
The easiest way to make the animals would be to get blocks of ready coloured royal icing and cut 2D shapes, maybe using cookie cutters and lay them on the cake. If you want 3D you'll need to use sugar paste as royal icing doesn't hold up well to too much handling.

Hi buttercream is easiest for grass effect. If you can ice using an icing bag then there is a special nozzle that creates "standing up" grass which looks great. The animals if you want them in 3D are easiest to make from ready coloured icing. You tube has some great clips to follow how to make them. The basic idea is a four short columns for the legs, a cylinder for the body and then a round for the head. Cut out extra pieces for ears and use either pens suitable for writing on icing to add details. Simple animals looks great and can be made a couple of days in advance. Enjoy and good luck.