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Original poster

How would you make a birthday cake in the shape of a 5 ?

26 replies

forkhandles · 05/04/2008 22:06

DD would like a cake in the shape of a number five for her birthday. Would it be best to hire a tin in that shape or make it up myself from pieces of a larger cake cut to shape iyswim? Thanks.

OP posts:
KatyMac · 05/04/2008 22:09

With a sqaure cake & a round one

Cut the centre out of the round one, then cut out about 1/4 to 1/3

Cut the square cake into the same width slices as the round cake & position in place

I'd hire a tin tbh

MaureenMLove · 05/04/2008 22:11

Personally, I would make a big rectangular cake and then draw a number 5 on paper, cut it out and use it as a template on the cake.

ilovewashingnappies · 05/04/2008 22:18

Hurrah!!!! Making a birthdya cake for my Mum's 50th and also needed to know...

NaughtyNigel · 05/04/2008 22:19

Hire the tin. you'll get the proportions right - and they'll be abole to tell you what size mixture you'll need too. much easier

Original poster
forkhandles · 05/04/2008 22:44

thanks, agree doing it in pieces might be a pain and dodgy re proportions. I'm not sure Maureen if I cut it out of a big rectangular one that it will be big enough, could I use a really large tray?

If I do hire a tin, do you just use a normal sponge recipe or would that break as you turned it out?

OP posts:
southeastastra · 05/04/2008 22:46

arrange swiss rolls into 5 shape then ice with at least 6 layers

bogwobbit · 05/04/2008 22:47

Hire a tin. Use a normal sponge recipe. The shop you hire it from should tell you the right quantities to make for the tin.

QuintessentialShadows · 05/04/2008 22:48

Now, here is a cheat:

We are in a digital era, right? Make it all with equal lenght of Jam rolls (hey, wont have to bake if you dont want to), ice it.

KatyMac · 05/04/2008 22:48

I'd use a maderia cake - it is a bit more solid (iyswim)

Original poster
forkhandles · 05/04/2008 22:48

and make sure they eat it on the way home when the icing sugar/colouring rush kicks in

OP posts:
Original poster
forkhandles · 05/04/2008 22:50

I did wonder about the swiss roll thingy, as you can make amazing fairy castles etc with them can't you! But I don't mind baking, and would like it to look good so I'll probably check out the tins in our locla shop and see what size they are. As you say they'll probably be able to advise about recipe etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
forkhandles · 05/04/2008 22:58

thanks for all your advice

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FourPlusOne · 05/04/2008 23:00

I would hire a tin. Maybe I am lazy! But they are so cheap to hire.

Hired one for DSs 3rd but did do a trial run a few days before as the quantities and therefore cooking time were slighlty different. Had loads of family popping by between then and the party so the trial cake wasn't wasted! I used NIgellas special party cake recipe (which I had never done before) rather than a normal sponge one though so that may have been the other reason I did a run through first (can't remember now!).

Solitaire · 05/04/2008 23:04

Do what I do. Let MIL be in charge of burthday cakes. She takes DCs orders approx 3 months in advance so that by the time the birthday arrives they've forgotten waht they asked for, so its all a big surprise!! Mind you she did draw the line ar DS1s request for a lifesized car as per the skoda 'favourite things' ad

Flibbertyjibbet · 05/04/2008 23:07

If you get the Australian Womens Weekly childrens birthday cakes book from amazon it has actual size templates for numbers 0 to 9.
Not to mention a ton of fab cake ideas for every other year. Its a cheap book too probably cheaper than hiring a no 5 tin for a one off.

ZacharyQuack · 06/04/2008 00:50

The Australian Women's Weekly kids cakes books say to use 1 20cm ring pan and 1 8cm*26cm loaf pan. It uses 1 340gm packet of buttercake mix (it's a cake decorating book, not a cake baking book).

After baking and cooling the cakes, cut the loaf cake in half width-wise (to get 2 8*13cm pieces) and cut one quarter from the ring cake, cutting at 12 o'clock and 9 o'clock. Discard/eat the small quarter of the cake.

Assemble by using the two short straight pieces for the top part of the '5', and the circular bit for the bottom part. Slather with icing and decorate.

Scramble · 06/04/2008 00:54

erm buy a 5 shaped tin

Califrau · 06/04/2008 02:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
forkhandles · 06/04/2008 10:43

oh yes a trial is a good idea, and is Nigella's party cake recipe in her Goddess book as I've got that. I'll have a look thanks!

The problem with the Australian Womens Weekly one is that I don't have a ring pan either

and LOL at Solitaire's DS wanting the Skoda car!

OP posts:
purpleduck · 06/04/2008 10:57

Hire a tin.
Use Betty Crockers Chocolate (or any really!) cake mix. It is YUMMY, and it holds together very well.

I would just grease and lightly flour the bottom though, just to be on the safe side!
Good Luck

Original poster
forkhandles · 06/04/2008 19:39

thanks again everyone, some really good tips!

OP posts:
love2sleep · 06/04/2008 20:20

Agree with Betty Crockers but I wouldn't bother hiring a tin - it's easy enough to make it out of bits as long as you use lots of icing. Stick the bits together with butter icing or similar and then cover the whole thing with ready to roll stuff. Grease proof paper is good for making the template to cut the bits from.

The other big advantage of making it out of bit is that you always end up with lots of left overs which you have to eat

Original poster
forkhandles · 06/04/2008 20:30

love2sleep - does that ready to roll icing work well, do you just slap it on

OP posts:
love2sleep · 08/04/2008 08:42

The ready icing is great - I use tesco's "fondant ice". I've never managed to get a decent smooth finish with my own icing but it's really easy with this stuff. You can colour it with food colouring but this does make it much stickier and harder to use. I tend to put a layer of butter icing in between the cake and the fondant icing as this helps to even out any bumps in the cake. Once the fondant is on you can make it smooth using a small rolling pin or your hand.

colacubes · 08/04/2008 08:54

oh no, now I want to eat cake!!!!!!!!