How much icing will I need to cover my cake?

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Hello all,

I am planning to use a 4 egg Madeira recipe for a number one shaped birthday cake.

I am then planning to cover it with icing such as Renshaw sugar paste. I have watched a you tube video that makes it look a breeze so I'm sure it will be wrinkle and fold free...ahem!!

Anyways does anyone know
how many packets of icing I will need, or how I can calculate the amount I require please?

Thanks.

Good luck! covering numbers is much harder than a standard shape cake, so take your time and don't roll it too thin!
It's much better to have too much than too little sugarpaste, if you have extra you can always use it for decorations or a border round the cake or something. To be on the safe side I'd probably get 1.5 kg and expect to only actually need just over half of it, but you need extra to roll out a big enough shape to cover it down to the board IYSWIM.

Thanks Lizzie. The video made it look easy, deceptively so I'm sure!

Perhaps I need a plan B if it all goes wrong....!

Plan b - slather in buttercream and cover in smarties!

Thanks Lizzie, that'll definitely be the plan!!