Castle cake for DD's birthday - CAKE MAKERS OVER HERE PLEASE!!!

[FindingMyMojo]

On Saturday I am making a castle cake for DD's 3rd birthday - I've done a bit of research & am thinking of doing this:

Large round cake, topped with small round cake then a tower made with brought rolled log sponge held on with bamboo stick. All iced in butter cream (I'm thinking purple though DD will want pink ideally).

Decorated with:
Sugar cones iced & covered in coloured sugar with the candles sticking out of them.
Pink wafers for doors & windows, coloured marshmellows & toblerone pieces around edge of cake. Or possibly chocolate fingers instead?

Few questions - I've never used this much butter cream before - is it worthwhile investing in one of those bent spatulars for ease of use & smooth finish?

It sounds pretty easy (online) to colour your own sugar - is it?

I'm thinking of slicing the round cakes & sandwiching with some jam & thick cream - is this possible to then cover edges with butter cream or will it bleed through?

Any other ideas for easily purchasable sweets to decorate (I'm not really a sweets person) or super castle decorations?

TIA & wish me luck

I did a castle cake for DD last year and in Asda baking section they had some sweet little sugar shapes with stuff like princess slippers, castle, hearts and stuff on which made it all look a bit more princessish.

Sounds fab by the way

thanks JJ I don't have access to an ASDA, I'll take another look at Sainsburys selection though.

oooh finding - that sounds very similar to one my 13 yr old DD wants to make for DD (4). We are following this for inspiration, but as i am not very crafty, i have no idea on how best to do it

I am liking your idea of sponge rolls for the turrets though, i was going to roll the sugarpaste like play dough

definately buy a small spatula. smoother in butter iciing, let it set then go over with the spatula to smooth out. helps if you keep dipping spatula in hot water.

with the icecream cones - make glace icing and fully dip cones in it then sprinkle hundreds and thousands on them. much easier than colouring sugar.

Well done to all who attempt it, it is by no means a mean feat. Here is a link to one I made last year. It's a bit rustic but my daughter loved it.

elisabetbasford.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/how-to-bake-a-princess-castle-cake-and-other-child-rearing-secrets/