Calling all cake decorating experts - I need your advice!

[Orchide]

My DD birthday fast approaching and am now thinking about birthday cake!

Have in the past made quite a few b'day cakes, mostly sugarpaste to create the decorations and they've all been pretty successful. For DD birthday I want to make a cake like this - just how hard will it be?

Anyone got any advice/links/idiot proof instructions to tell me how to create somethign similar?

Thanks

No idea, but will watch this thread closely for tips to help me decorate dd's birthday cake for next Sunday

i AM A cake decorator and have a few ideas - how old will dd be?

oh leedslassy i want to do an in the night garden one for my lo in 3 weeks times im in leeds btw so might be having to call on you

TBH you can get an in the night garden one from Morrisons for £8.45 ish.

What a lovely cake! I'm a fair cake decorator but I don't know how to explain how you would make that - it looks quite tricky unless you are reasonably proficient. Over to leedslassy

Sorry to hijack this, but since we're all here.. Am I right to use buttercream between the sponge cake and the roll out fondant icing? And how do I get it smooth?

sorry to hijack

It would be quite easy - the hardest bit would be cutting the ckaes into the shapes of the tiers but once thats don youv'e cracked it.

best not to use butter cream between the ckae and icing. if not using marzipan then cover cake with apricot jam and then put the icing on top. If you have enough icing it should sit smoothly on the top and them you can trim it to fit.

oh great. thanks. So no buttercream between the cake and the fondant, but if I put a thin layer of apricot jam all over the sponge it will sit ok. thanks leedslassy thats really helpful and you might have saved dd's birthday cake!

apricot jam acts like a glue. the buttercream may just make the icing slip around.

thanks for quick replies.
So, Leeds lassy, sorry in advance abput the questions...

I was thinking that to make the wedge shape tiers I would make a 2 or 3 layer sponge( maybe 3 as it looks quite deep) them cut a wedge from the bottom on an angle and 'stick' to the top. Carve round the edge to give it the top heavy look. How would umake that curved- careful carving?

Would u cover the entire cake- or each tier- in a single colour icing then add strips to make the striped effect.

I live near Leeds too- if it all goes pear shaped how much notice would u need to make it!!!

Yes I would say 2-3 round sponges depending on the depth of the ones you make then cut the wedge away from the bottom. TBH you might end with bits rather than a peice you could use for the top so you might have to bake seperate sponges for the top and cut away again. It is just about careful shaping of the sponge. The stripes look on the photo as though they have been put on individually so this means having a number of different coloured icing although you could do white then add the strips on top as they have done thr flower. This is quite a complex cake to do and to buy professionally would cost you loads!! How old is dd? I can tell you how to make a really cheap fairy castle cake.

She's 1. I know, i know, i know -she wont care about her cake but is our first DC, soooo.....! I expect by birthday no. 2 i might not be quite so enthusiastic.

Go on then, just in case, tell me about the fairy castle cake!

Although was also looking at this which cant be too hard??

leedslassy
I am planning to make a cheap sleep over cake using swiss rolls for the beds (plus buttercream for covers) but I have no idea how to do the girls faces peeking out. Any ideas?

Awww I like that number 1 - cute and really easy to do. TBH I would do something like that as can't go wrong really. You could either hire a number 1 cake tin or do a couple (maybe 3) square ones then cut the shape out. If you are new to cake decorating I would do something easy as a first one as it can get expensiv to put things right if the first attempts doesn't turn out right

If you need something at short notice - let me know and will see what I can do but do need some notice as I have got dd2 to do for 3rd May and also got 3 commissions in the next week. x

I always use buttercream between cake and rolled out icing - it works well for me. Check our Debbie Brown's books if you've got a cake decoration shop near you. I've always found her instructions really easy to follow - just do EXACTLY what she says and it will work - but it will take you twice as long as she says. She has a wonderful fairy castle that I've made several times - I'll see if I can find a picture.

I'm no a professional by any stretch, but check my profile for easy fairy castle and ITNG cakes

I also did a sleepover cake fo dd1. I made it smaller and used flying saucer sweets for the faces.
I used an onlline recipe I hink...I'll see if I can find it.

Sleepover cake

Thanks for tip, flying saucer sweets sound ideal.
dds only like choc cake, hate icing, so hence swiss roll idea as a base.

I used a shop bought slab cake, as dd1 doesn't eat cake at all!
I've put it on my profile, but will remove it later as her name is on it

ah it looks lovely, thanks for letting me see it.
I bet she was thrilled

she is easily impressed

tar dar- cake on profile for a a short while.
Thanks for tips.
The flying saucer sweets worked out great for the faces.
DDs helped decorate and made the icing decorations like the teddy and presents. Starwberry strings for hair.