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Original poster

Please help with cake decorating

23 replies

octonoughtcake3 · 28/04/2019 08:49

My 3 year old would like an octonought cake. I’m planning on making something like the photo below. I’m going to use frosting because I have never covered sponge cake with vanilla icing before and I have plastic figurines. I’m going to try and make some decorations shells etc using a the mould in the other photo. Do you think it will work? Will I need dowling for two tiers? Do I need any specific tools? Does anyone have any tips or suggestions please. TIA

OP posts:
Original poster
octonoughtcake3 · 28/04/2019 08:55

Photos this time!

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Farmmum7 · 28/04/2019 09:07

If you find the icing sticks to the moulds try a little vegetable oil to grease them it's tasteless and will make it easier to remove them. You can make these a few days beforehand and keep them in a lunchbox or something so you don't find yourself running out of time on the day. You probably won't need dowels if it's a light cake if you don't have any don't worry but if you have some and want to use them then go for it.
Just take your time and don't get too stressed out I'm sure they'll love it.

PandaG · 28/04/2019 09:12

Agree with the above. Are you using buttercream icing (butter and icing sugar) or sugarpaste - roll out, a bit like playdough? I'm not quite sure by your descriptions. If buttercream, buy paste food colouring rather than liquid - you will need quite a lot of liquid to get a strong blue and it can make the icing runny/ taste odd. If sugarpaste, you can buy it precoloured to save the hassle. Looks the the sand in the second cake is demerara sugar- that can work well.

Original poster
octonoughtcake3 · 28/04/2019 09:15

Premade butter icing because I need it to be milk free. Thanks for the tip for the gel icing.

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Babyfoal · 28/04/2019 12:37

I'd make it with sugarpaste. Buttercream could easily turn into a mess with something like this

Original poster
octonoughtcake3 · 28/04/2019 13:01

I’m worried about that but I don’t know how to do sugar paste!

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Babyfoal · 28/04/2019 13:04

Sugarpaste is easy. Buy some white from supermarket and mix your own colours in. The green fronds are really easy, and you can mould the other decorations like you would with play dough. Sugarpaste is much more forgiving than buttercream

Farmmum7 · 28/04/2019 14:00

Sugar paste has no milk in either so would be safe. If you wanted to make your own buttercream that's dairy free you can use the stork baking blocks they are cheaper than the lacto free spreads and will make a nice icing just be careful if you add any liquid that it doesn't curdle.

Original poster
octonoughtcake3 · 28/04/2019 16:40

I have found buttercream make with marg to just not taste no matter what I try.

I was going to make the decorations, fronds, shell and mermaid tails from sugar paste and use butter cream to cover the cake. Is that a no go do you think?

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Babyfoal · 28/04/2019 16:50

Covering with sugarpaste will be easier and neater. 😁

Original poster
octonoughtcake3 · 29/04/2019 15:59

You guys are great thanks. I have a few more specific questions if you don’t mind helping.

I am planning on making a 9 1/2 and and 8 inch cake.

  • how many eggs do I need for each?
  • how much sugar paste do I need?
  • shall I just buy the ready coloured sugar paste rather than buying white and gel colours and mixing?
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Babyfoal · 29/04/2019 17:33

I would do an 8 egg mix and split between the two tins. Any left over can go in little cup cakes. When the cakes are cooked and cold slice the tops off so they are flat then flip them over and ice them upside down for flat surfaces.

I would buy three packs of white sugar paste. See how you go, you may get away with two, but you don't want to roll it too thin.

I would buy a decent set of colours. They are an investment and easy to mix to the right colours. Lakeland do good colours 😁

Original poster
octonoughtcake3 · 29/04/2019 17:35

I’m not sure I will get much use of a good set of food colours.

Have I imagined this or is there away to use the ready rolled stuff to cover the cake and then make it white afterwards?

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Babyfoal · 29/04/2019 17:41

Once it's dyed it's dyed forever

And after the success of this cake I'm sure you'll be churning out cakes forever more 😁

Original poster
octonoughtcake3 · 29/04/2019 17:43

I meant buy the ready rolled white stuff and paint it or spray it blue but maybe I dreamt that was a possibility?

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Babyfoal · 29/04/2019 18:00

You can certainly paint it. With an under water cake that would look effective.

Original poster
octonoughtcake3 · 29/04/2019 18:19

Great. My larger cake is 9inch and all the ready rolled stuff says for 8inches. Can I roll it a bit thinner or should I just buy the fondant stuff to roll?

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Babyfoal · 29/04/2019 19:34

You can roll it a bit thinner if you wish.

Original poster
octonoughtcake3 · 29/04/2019 19:46

Thanks!

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Original poster
octonoughtcake3 · 05/05/2019 09:12

A big thank you to everyone for their advice and support. I had a very happy birthday girl. Here is the cake.

Please help with cake decorating
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Babyfoal · 06/05/2019 16:58

Well that went spectacularly well! Really good job 😁

drowningincustard · 06/05/2019 17:02

Fantastic job!
Funnily enough my 3 year old got an octonauts cake 3 years ago for her birthday and I think I used the same cake as you for inspiration and also I bought the actual figures!!!
Be warned its addictive... (For 4 she got a T-Rex, 5 was a snowboarder and currently planning this years - a my little pony one!)

Farmmum7 · 09/05/2019 16:53

It looks amazing she must have been delighted.
My kids are the same always wanting something more elaborate each time!

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