Tips needed for making this cake please - icing question

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Am planning on copying this sand castle cake for the DSs birthday. Will buy ready made victoria sponges from Sainsburys (1 large, 2 small and trimming one of the small ones). But what kind of icing do I need, do I ice each layer separately or all together, and how do I get a decent yellow colour? Am complete icing novice, thanks!

I see you're Essex UCM - me too, between Braintree and Colchester. Where's the shop?

Ummm, isn't the easiest icing just icing sugar, liquid colouring and then insy tinsy drops of water to make a paste? Then smear it on?

Although come to think of it it does tend to run a bit, which may not be a good look for a sand castle.

It's in Southend, on Southchurch Road where it meets Southchurch Boulevard. I can go up and get it, and post it, if you want. This stuff keeps & freezes, but it would be perfect for what you want.

You can roll it, thick or thin. I am not sure if you watched the Cupcake bake on here, but I used a tiny bit for my apple cakes in red and now have what looks like a spare organ in my freezer

Ice the cakes seperatly. Always use proper colouring from a cake shop rather than the liquid ones in supermarkets. Knead in the colour and roll out the sugarpaste making sure you turn it a few times to prevent sticking then roll the sugarpaste around your rolling pin, this way you can lift it over your cake and unroll it without the sugarpaste splitting. Never turn the cake upside down over the sugarpaste to ice it.

Buy a smoother (from cake decorating shops) as this will make smoothing the sugarpaste when on the cake alot easier and you will end up with a perfect finish. Don't trim the edges until you are completly happy with the finish of the icing.

That's really kind UCM - I will try and find a shop round here, but if I get stuck will let you know! I still have nearly a fortnight, so no great rush.

The bit that's worrying me the most is when the circle I've rolled out is draped over, as it falls down the sides won't there be a lot of bulky excess? Do I trim this and seal the joins, or pleat it???

When you have rolled out the icing, put the rolling pin on top of the icing on the edge and roll the icing around the rolling pin. Then unroll over the cake, lay the icing over so it isn't touching the sides then get your smoother or use your hand and gently cover the sides going oppisite ends. It's very hard to describe without actually showing you.

OK, so I let it drape as you described, then ease the icing to the cake. And if the cake is a clock, if I start at 12, I then move round to 6, then 3, then 9? Have I understood?

yes and as your doing it make sure you don't let the icing ripple around the sides. If that happens, gently lift the rippled icing up a little bit and use your hand to smooth it back onto the side of the cake. I don't know if that makes sense or not but thats the best i can describe.

Brilliant. Thanks all, wish me luck!