Kyla Howard - Hi Amanda, loved the Marie Antoniette cake, amazing detail! What did you make her face out of? Amazed that it stayed so perfect under all that weight! x.

Amanda –  Hi Kyla, I used a dummy head & shoulder (the type you would use for displaying wigs). It had a vertical metal pole through the centre which was welded to a metal plate at the base. I then made a wired frame for the hair which I fixed to the centre pole and anchored it in the polystyrene head xx

Laura –  Hi Amanda, Laura here I just wondered whether you’ve baked for any celebs (love a bit of celeb gossip!!) x

Amanda – Hi Laura, I did make a cake for Lauren Goodger from TOWIE and also got an invitation to her party but was just too busy to go!x

Charmaine -  Hi Amanda, Charmaine here-my burning question is….how do you transport such huge cakes, is it done in pieces or as one? Marie looked like such a huge challenge to get from Essex to London!

Amanda – Hi Charmaine, I generally transport cakes assembled because the time at venues it often limited. I make sure that cakes have a really good support structure where required and drive carefully (often to the annoyance of other drivers!) The MA piece is so heavy and has a heavy wired internal support that it would be very difficult to tip over xx (I would never do it like the image below!!!)

Suze -  Hey Amanda – Suze here, I remember seeing you on The great cake bake show a few years ago! One of the reasons I was so inspired to get into caking! I see that you use marzipan underneath your icing, what do you do if the clients doesn’t like it? x

Amanda – Hi Suze, I don’t often get a situation where people don’t want it. I tell them I cover all cakes unless they have an allergy or genuinely hate it. If this is the case I would suggest another option such as a butter cream covering x

Tiffany Watkins  - Hi Amanda. I have been told to cover sponge cakes with two layers of icing if the client doesn’t like marzipan, to get a professional smooth look. Have you ever done this and if not does marzipan taste good with a vanilla sponge? Thank you.

Amanda – Hi Tiffany, this is an option but my feeling is that it is not possible to get a really smooth covering without marzipan. Sugarpaste (icing) is not as firm as marzipan so it does not absorb the lumps and bumps of the cake. I dont have problems with lots of clients disliking it but if they have a nut allergy or genuinely hate it I would discuss a butter cream covering for example x

Dolly -  Help me Amanda its Dolly!!!!! I need smooth icing and perfect stacking???? No leaning and no lumps!!! Any tips? On smooth fondant ? Or perfectly stacked tiered cakes? X do u ganache? Xxx

Amanda -  Hi Dolly, I have a how to post on my blog about filling and covering cakes to get a smooth finish. One of the main things os to roll out a nice big piece of marzipan/sugarpaste. this way you should minimise the folds around the side of your cake. If you don’t roll out enough it is like putting a small cloth on a big table – you will get loads of folds in the fabric. I don’t use ganache generally. x

Hollie Joyce – Hello, I am very new to the cake world business wise (although I have been decorating as a hobby for 10 years). I am very conscious about the design aspect of making cakes- where do you get inspiration from? Do you start with a blank canvas to always create something different? TIA x

Amanda – Hi Hollie, I have a graphic design background so that really helps when it comes to designing cakes. Some of my clients come along with very definite ideas and some come along with a vague idea or just the colour scheme and I come up with a design from scratch. I prefer it when I have to come up with a design from scratch xx

Francesca Pitcher – Hi Amanda, I hear you will soon be running some classes – what will you be teaching and where? Thank you. Francesca.

Amanda – Hi Francesca I have some dates set up with The Cupcake Oven in Chelmsford and also Carina’s Cupcakes. I am also talking to some other cake schools including Pretty Witty Cakes. I will be teaching a cake variation on the Marie Antoinette piece. I am also going to start teaching from home doing things like my teapot cake xx

Carolina Lemmens – Hello, my name is Carolina and I’m from the Netherlands. I wanted to know how you started with cakes. How did you know that you liked it? And did you learn everything yourself or did you follow a proper education? Cakes had my interest for 4 years now, If you see my kitchen…I could start a bakery, but in 4 years I just baked 2 cakes…Unfortunately I don’t have any one for support. But since I’ve seen your cakes I think that I really need to start!!! Greetings Carolina

Amanda – Hi Carolina, I made a birthday cake for my mum around 20 years ago and she loved it so it went form there. I did a 6 month course in sugarcraft and cake decorating in 2002 to cover the basics and did cakes for friends getting married which was perfect practice as I charged a nominal figure to cover supplies which lessened the pressure x

Julie Rudd – Hi what are your feelings on ganache on coating your cakes? Some cakers are having problems with their local eho due to the ganache being made with cream and want tests on how safe it is. Also eho are not allowing cakers to use ganache

Amanda – Hi Julie, I generally would not use ganache but would make a very rich choc butter cream with good quality dark melted choc x

Sarah Jones  - Your cakes cover endless design areas/ideas. Do you have a favourite style of cake.
I get asked for lots of stuff, but would much rather be able to produce purely contemporary designs.

Amanda – Hi Sarah I love cakes which have a sculptural aspect and anything quirky or unusual is my favourite thing to do. competitions are especially exciting because I can choose what I want to make x

Lesley-Ann Hughes – Hi Amanda just wondering if you ever share your recipes as I would love a good one for a white cake / Madeira cake any suggestions!!!

Amanda – Hi Lesley-Ann I am happy to share but to be honest I tend to use recipes I find online – this is a nice one 

Edda Joyce Fabila Sumatra – Hi Amanda! Any advice to all homebakers who are trying to start a homebased business? Thanks

Amanda – Hi Edda, the main thing I would say is try to keep your cost down. Work from home, make use of social media to promote yourself, make the most of opportunties in your local area or nationally to promote yourself – I did the Marie Antoinette piece which attracted loads of interest and cost only time x

Pat McCeldry – Hi Amanda, I’d love to know how you built your customer base? Did y pay to advertise etc?

Amanda – Hi Pat, actually in the early days we avoided spending money wherever possible. I contacted many wedding/event planners to get my name out there and get orders. I also went to local papers and did some cakes for a local charity x

Yvonne Donald – Hi Amanda, I am thinking of using my 20 plus years of running hospitality businesses for other people into running my own coffee/Cupkakery, any advice regarding funding, operating out of a shop etc……, thanks x

Amanda – Hi Yvonne, I currently work from home and may look to premises as I am expanding my business. The thing to bear in mind with any premises is the extra cost of rent, rates, electricity etc. I would advise anyone to start out at home if poss and then move towards your own shop. I am afraid I cannot give much advise on a shop except that a business plan for a bank loan would be a good way to go xx

Amanda Robinson – Who is your biggest inspiration? and what advice could you give to me ive been doing this 3 months now? Love your cakes.

Amanda – Hi Amanda, thanks. I love Colette Peters because of her unique style and her imagination for quirky designs. Karen Portaleo is my heroine. Her skill is jaw dropping. The main thing I would say is practice, practice, practice and in the early days, if you are making cakes for friends then know your limitations and be honest with yourself and them about what you can achieve x

Anna Johns – Hi Amanda, what tips do you have when entering cake competitions? Thanks Anna x

Amanda – Hi Anna, give yourself plenty of time to get your entry done. Make sure you read the criteria for the class you are entering. It would be awful if you spent months making something only to find that it doesnt meet the criteria. Most of all choose something you will genuinely enjoying making as it could take you a long time x

Kimberley Turner – How much business would you expect if you do wedding fairs and which ones in your opinions are the best to go to?

Amanda – I have not done many wedding fairs although did one on Sunday actually. It was busy and hopefully I will get some orders from it. They are a bit hit & miss but you just have to choose one and go for it. We also went to a few beforehand to get a feel for them x

Kimberley Turner – What do you use as your crumb coat?

Amanda – Hi Kimberly, I don’t use a crumb coat as such. I use very firm butter cream for the cake filling and thin it a little with whole milk to cover the cake ready for the marzipan

The post Question and Answer Session with Cake Club appeared first on Amanda Macleod.

On my table I had my Marie Antionette Cake, my Ombre Lily Cake and a 3 Tier Pink Cake that I created for the show. I also had lemon, carrot, vanilla and chocolate cake pops.

The cake pops were a roaring success and I gave away around 70 in the first 3 hours. Unfortunately the people arriving later didn’t get the chance to sample them but I will just have to make more next time. I was surprised how many people had not heard of cake pops and who thought it would be an excellent idea, as well as a cake, for their wedding.

The 3 tier pink wedding cake got lots of comments. I really like a pink and black combination, it is very striking.

Of course, my Marie Antionette piece was the star of the show and it was amazing that quite a few people knew about it already and had seen it on facebook or on the Daily Mail website. It is absolutely incredible the reception that she gets and I am sure she will be travelling around with me for a long time to come.

We really enjoyed our day at Chigwell Hall. It is a beautiful venue and the marquee is enormous. Emma and all the Chigwell Hall people were really nice and did an excellent job of getting a lot of couples through the door. We got lots and lots of leads and I am sure that some of them will turn into orders. I would certainly be open to returning next year.

The post Chigwell Hall Wedding Fayre appeared first on Amanda Macleod.

Cake Tip: Cutting mat

I recommend using a large A1 cutting mat such as the one below to roll out your sugarpaste and as a general working surface. Sugarpaste and marzipan will not stick to the mat and there is no need to use cornflour or icing sugar, both of which will dry out your sugarpaste and worsen cracks on the edges and corners of your finished cake.

Cake Tip: Air bubbles in sugarpaste

When it come to sugarpaste (fondant) I would recommend a  good quality paste from a sugarcraft supplier rather than the supermarket.When kneading your sugarpaste prior to rolling out try not to fold over too much as this will trap air. Once rolling out, if you spot an air bubble use a fine pin to prick a hole. You should find that as you continue rolling the pin prick will disappear. When applying the sugarpaste to your cake, drape it over and lower down rather than just dropping it onto the cake as this will trap air. If you spot an air bubble once your sugarpaste is on your cake, you can also use a fine pin to prick a hole. You will probably find that your cake design will allow you to cover the pin prick with your decorations.

Cake Tip: Storing cakes

Do not put cakes in he fridge to keep fresh during the decoration process. When you remove them and they come back up to room temperature, condensation will form on the surface of your cake and decorations and a tacky sheen will form which you cannot remove. Once covered your cake will be airtight and should be kept at room temperature. If you want to keep your cake inside a container, put in in a standard card cake box.

Cake Tip: Covering a dummy

This can be tricky as dummies are made from polystyrene which is light and the weight of the sugarpaste as you drape it over can move the dummy, making covering difficult. To avoid this use a piece of non slip matting under your dummy.

Cake Tip: Brushes

Nail art brushes are great for all your cake decorating projects. I got these pretty cheap from Amazon

You can use inexpensive make up/kabuki brushes for brushing lustre dust onto rolled sugarpaste.

Cake Tip: Add extra height

You can add extra height to your cake by rolling out a piece of marzipan (if using) or sugarpaste and then sticking your cake on top of it. Apply a little buttercream or jam to hold the cake in place. This will add approximately 5 – 8mm but may be enough if your sponge is a little shallow. Trim the marzipan/sugarpaste closely around the edge of the sponge before applying the rest of the covering of your choice.

Cake Tip: Buttercream

Make very firm butter cream for filling cakes as it will produce less bulging at sides. Then thin down with whole milk to cover cake before applying marzipan or sugarpaste. You will find it easier to cover your cake with a runnier buttercream and it will glide around the cake without pulling chunks out.

That is it for now. Please checkout my facebook page more more tips, general cake chat and news

The post Cake Tip Roundup May 2013 appeared first on Amanda Macleod.

Why should I cover my cake with marzipan if it is not a fruit cake?

Traditionally only fruit cakes have been covered with marzipan prior to the final sugarpaste (icing) cover. I always recommend covering all cakes with marzipan however whether fruit, genoese, chocolate or carrot.

This is because marzipan is firmer than sugarpaste and has the ability to absorb the lumps and bumps of the cake where it makes contact but can still be shaped to form a smooth finish on the outside. If you have one sugarpaste covering alone this will take on the lumps and bumps of the cake but all of these will also show on the outside surface.

I think of it like the princess and the pea. However many mattresses she had she could still feel the pea. The natural lumps in a cake will show through a covering of sugarpaste and even if you apply an extra layer these lumps will still be visible.

Once your marzipan layer has been left to harden (preferably overnight or for around 6 hours) it provides an excellent surface for applying your sugarpaste.

If you are covering a chocolate cake you can make white choc marzipan or dark choc marbled marzipan. This is easily done by melting the chocolate (I do this by eye depending on how much marzipan I am using), making a well in the centre of the lump of marzipan and pouring in the melted chocolate (not too not). Then put some gloves on and knead in the chocolate.

Can I freeze my sponge cake after I have baked it?

People ask this question because they want to know if it is possible to make cakes in advance of when they are needed and then store them frozen.

Yes, you can freeze your sponge cakes. Ensure that you let your cake cool completely before putting it into the freezer. Wrap it in cling film and then put into a freezer bag if it will fit into one. If not wrap in another layer of cling film or use a large plastic bag. I often get supplies (large cake boxes) which come packaged in large plastic bags.

Put a label with the date on your wrapped cake and put it into your freezer. I would suggest keeping it frozen for no more than 6 months.

When you take it out of the freezer remove all but one layer of wrapping/bags (this is to reduce the moisture around the cake as it defrosts) and allow to defrost completely before using. If you intend to carve or shape your cake for a novelty cake you can start when the it is still part frozen. This will make cutting easier and produce less crumbs.

Do not put your cake into the freezer (or fridge) once you have covered and decorated it. When you take it out of the freezer and it comes up to room temperature, condensation will form on the cake surface and this will produce a sweating effect on the cake and decorations.

What Can I Use Piping Gel For?

Piping gel is a a clear jelly type substance made essentially from glucose syrup, water and sugar. It has a variety of uses, the most obvious of which is water.

I often use it on garden cakes which have a pond or bird bath for instance. It is possible to colour it using paste colour. You could colour it blue for a pond or stream or you could line the pond with blue sugarpaste and then put clear gel into it. If you are using coloured piping gel, the surface it sits on should be either white or a very pale colour so that you get a “true” colour in the gel.

It can be used straight from the pot as a fairly thick substance. This is good for stained glass effects on the sides of cakes because it does not slide downwards too much.

You can give it a mix if you want a runnier gel which you are going to pipe into a pond/on the top of a cake.

The beauty of piping gel is that it is extremely shiny. I used it for the jam in the cake on my Marie Antoinette sculpture. I added some sugar crystals and glitter to make it really luscious and thicken it up. I also used it in the rings to create gemstones.

Piping gel is best used in a piping bag as you have more control over it. You do not need a piping nozzle. Make up your piping bag with a good closed point. Fill the bag and then snip off the tip when ready to use it. If you have added sugar crystals be sure to cut a large enough hole for these to get through.

Piping gel can also be added to royal icing to make it more pliable.

What is the Difference between a Cake Card, a Cake Board and a Cake Drum?

A cake card is the finest of the three and is thick cardboard widely available in various shapes and sizes. Cake cards are used for putting cake tiers onto in order to stack them on on top of another. For a 12″, 9″ and 6″ tier combination for example, cake cards are strong enough for this purpose. Cake cards can also be covered with sugarpaste and used as a base for a cake topper.

A cake board is medium strength and at 3mm thick it can be used for bigger cake tiers. If I make a cake starting with a 16″ bottom tier for example I may decide to put the next 2 tiers (13″ and 10″) on cake boards as these are heavy tiers.

A cake drum is typically 10mm thick and is used as a display base for your cake. Because they are deeper than cards and boards they can be trimmed with ribbon to finish.

Should I Colour Royal Icing with Liquid or Paste Colour?

When colouring royal icing I recommend using paste colour. This is thicker than liquid and usually more concentrated. This means that you don’t need to add as much to get the intensity of colour you want. If you add a large quantity of liquid colour to royal icing it will start to break down the structure of the icing and you may find with very rich colours that the liquid colour starts to pool after you have mixed it all in.

It is worth trying out some different colour brands to find out which ones you like. Some brands achieve the level of the colour you are after more quickly than others.

I also recommend using paste colour for sugarpaste. However if you want  pastel or medium shade, liquid colour should work fine.

The post Your Cake & Sugarcraft Questions Answered appeared first on Amanda Macleod.

It is just incredible how much creativity and talent is out there and I think it is very exciting that such talented people are turning their hand to creating cakes.

I am sure that many of you have seen my steampunk cake before but here it is again

And here is the stop animation film. Angela said, ‘Your Steam Punk cake inspired my final animation for my MA. It was all those cogs that I couldn’t get out of my head! Here’s a link, (it’s a bit scary!)’

If you want to know a bit more about the animation, including how it was made then there is a guide here http://angerobs.tumblr.com/

Thank you very much Angela, it is very exciting to know that my cake inspired you.

The post Steampunk Cake Cogs Inspire Stop Animation Film appeared first on Amanda Macleod.

For the rest of us me included, the safest way to produce a piped pattern onto the side of your cake is to produce a template with which you can transfer your chosen design onto your cake. When you then come to piping you know exactly where you need to pipe.

Before you start you will need:

Greaseproof paper
A fine pencil
A fine felt tipped pen
An embossing tool (the type you get from a craft shop to emboss card)
Dress pins (the ones with balls on the end)
A ruler
A sheet of plain white paper
A tape measure

Transferring your pattern onto your cake should always be done soon after covering your cake with sugarpaste. I suggest no more than 30 mins afterwards. This allows the paste to firm up a little so that you won’t dent it while you are working but is still soft enough to press your pattern through the greaseproof paper without causing cracking on the cake surface.

• Making the right sized template
  • Measure the circumference of your cake by gently running the tape measure around the base of the cake with the marzipan covering on it. You need to add 1.5″ to the length of your template to allow for the final sugarpaste covering. I suggest making your template before the final covering goes on the cake because it can take a while to complete your template (longer than 30 mins) depending on the complexity of the design. Transferring the pattern onto the cake surface works best while the sugarpaste is still soft so you need your template ready
  • Measure a piece of greaseproof paper the same length and cut this off the roll

• Decide how wide the strip of greaseproof paper needs to be. This will depend on the depth of your cake tier and how far up the tier the pattern will go. You will also need to allow for any ribbon trim or piping around the bottom of  the cake
• If your cake tier is 4″ deep and the pattern in going from top to bottom, then your paper strip needs to be 4″ wide
• Mark this on your paper and cut out your strip
• You should now have a strip which has a length of the circumference of the cake and a width of 4″
• Fold your template in half length ways and then in half again. Keep folding until you get to a section size that you are happy with. If your pattern details are large you will need large sections and if small you can fold until you have smaller sections. You may get to the point as with mine (after the second fold) that you decide you should not keep folding in half as this may make your sections too small. If this is the case you should at this point fold your template into 3 equal sections

• Drawing the pattern onto the template
  • Decide on the pattern you want use (trace a pattern you like or draw it freehand). Keep in mind that if you are going to add flowers, leaves or other embellishments to your pattern when finished you should not choose a pattern which is too busy with the lines and details close together
  • You will need 3 slightly differing versions of the pattern
  • Mark out 3 sections on the A4 sheet of paper the same size as your template sections
  • Draw the 3 versions of your pattern onto these sections

• Stick your template over the sections on the A4 sheet wtih masking tape and trace the 3 patterns onto the first 3 sections of your template
• Remove your template and turn the A4 sheet over so that the patterns are the other way around.
• Stick your template over these sections and trace the patterns onto the next 3 sections.
• You can either continue this way (turning the sheet over) or a mix this method and picking out single sections at a time to trace
• If you trace the pattern onto the template using pencil and then go over with a fine pen (I recommend using a felt tipped pen) make sure you rub out all pencil marks as these can get smudged and make a mess.

The reason for doing it this way is so that you have less work to do to create your template because you do not have to draw one long pattern right along the length. If you use 3 slightly different versions of the same pattern this will give the effect of having a varied pattern sequence around the side of the cake.

• Transferring your pattern onto your cake
  • Using bobble head pins, pin the template in place around the side of your cake. Remember to place the pins where they will be piped over. When you attach the template the side with the drawn pattern should be on the outside.
  • The picture below shows the 2 ends joined at the back of the cake. They are slightly overlapping so when I pressed the pattern through I altered the design slightly so that the lines of the pattern did not touch
  • Once the template is in place use a fine embossing tool to run over the pattern lines firmly but gently. You can peel back  the end of the template to check that you are using sufficient pressure to create an imprint but not so much that you make deep marks in the cake surface

• You will notice on my completed template that I have drawn in some of the details which will be added after piping all my lines. This is to show you how extra details fit into the pattern and you can see that if you are planing on adding lots of flowers or big leaves you need to allow for this
• The embossed lines on the cake surface should be feint but visible enough to act as a useful guide
• You may notice small creases around the lines you have embossed. This occurs as you press against the paper causing it to crease and these creases transfer onto the cake surface
• These are easy to eliminate by gently rubbing your thumb along each line to flatten any creasing

• Finish by running a cake smoother around the side of the cake to ensure your cake covering is smooth and even
• Your cake is now prepared and ready for piping

The post How to make a Template for Piping Patterns appeared first on Amanda Macleod.

Before you start you will need:

A suitable area and surface to roll out on – I use the large green craft mat as it does not require icing sugar or white fat in order to prevent sticking.
A long rolling pin – preferably at least 20″
Grease proof or parchment paper 
A turntable
2 cake drums at least 6″ larger in diameter than your cake
A pair of scissors – used only for food purposes
A plastic marzipan knife – or suitable knife for trimming excess marzipan/sugarpaste
A 1″ no loss paint brush – I get these from B & Q
A covered cake drum – 3 – 4″ larger in diameter than your cake – I will go through how and when to do this
Clear alcohol – I use gin (and am sometimes tempted to drink it!)
Sugarpaste – also called fondant and icing/rolled icing. You can find online guides for how much to use depending on the size of your cake but I use much more than this and I will explain why later.
Marzipan – same quantity as sugarpaste.
Buttercream - When making butter cream I suggest that you make it firm enough to stand a long wooden spoon in it. The firmer your filling the less likely it will be to splodge out of the sides and look like a spare tyre on your finished cake.

Covering a Drum for Displaying Cake

Before starting your cake you will need to cover a drum. In my opinion if you are going to spend time & effort on a decorated cake it should be displayed on a drum which has been covered rather than put onto a plain silver drum. I usually cover drums 1 – 2 weeks before needed as I want the covering to be as hard as possible. This is because you will need to trim the sugarpaste covering on your cake and if the surface your cake sits on is still soft your cutting knife will go straight through it and this cut will be very difficult to cover, even with a ribbon.

Start by choosing an appropriately sized drum. This will depend on whether you need to put a greeting or other decoration details on the drum. If there is no greeting then I choose a drum 3″ larger than the diameter of my cake. So for my 7″ cake I would choose a 10″ drum.

• Roll out your sugarpaste to app 5 mm thickness
• Wipe the drum with a damp cloth.
• Drape your sugarpaste over the drum and smooth onto it.
• Trim the edge of drum to get rid of excess sugarpaste. (I do this by lifting up the drum and holding it underneath like a tray with my hand flat. Using a palette knife, go around the edge and cut the sugarpaste away.)
• Use your smoother to get a smooth surface.
• You can now put this to one side to harden.

Filling and Covering with Marzipan

First choose a drum which is at least 3″ larger than the diameter of your cake. This is so that when you come to put your marzipan onto your cake the large drum will prevent it from dragging and pulling on your cake.

• Put the drum on a turntable and put a piece of greaseproof /parchment paper onto it. (this will prevent your cake sticking.)
• Roll out some marzipan to go underneath your cake and lay this on the greaseproof paper. (This is not essential although I always do this with my cake tiers for several reasons:)
  • It provides another sealed surface for freshness
  • It adds flavour to the finished cake
  • It adds height to the cake tier
  • It is easy to attach the cake tier to the cake board for stacking or to the cake drum if it is a one tier cake
• Lay a 6″ cake card/board on the marzipan and gently scribe around it.

You are now ready to get your cake onto the marzipan surface

• The first thing to do is to make a vertical notch from the top to bottom of your cake. (This is so that after taking the layers apart and filling your cake, you can place the top layer back in the same place which will avoid any odd shapes and wobbly top cake surface.)
• Use a palette knife/spatula to spread a little butter cream in the marked circle on your rolled marzipan.
• Place the bottom layer of cake onto this and push down very gently to secure.
• Put your butter cream on the upper surface, again with the palette knife or spatula.
• Place the top sponge on the filling, lining up the notches.
• Now trim the excess marzipan away as shown. (A marzipan knife is really good for this but a sharp, non serrated knife is fine.)

You are now ready to cover your cake with marzipan

•  Roll out your marzipan covering. (This should be slightly thinner than a sugarpaste covering unless you love marzipan and want it thick.)
  • You need to roll out a much bigger piece than you think you need. The lump I started with for this small cake weighed app 1kg. The reason for rolling out such a large piece is that it will minimise creases and folds around the side of your cake. You can always cut some away as you are rolling if you think it is getting too large.
• Once you have got to the right thickness, place a sheet of plastic over your marzipan while you cover your cake with butter cream.
  • I do it this way around because butter cream forms a skin which makes it less sticky so you want to get your marzipan on as soon as possible. The marzipan will not dry out as it has oils in it and you have covered it in plastic.
• Cover the cake with softened butter cream (you can do this by adding a little whole milk).
  • If you use very firm butter cream to cover the outside of your cake you may pull out chunks of cake. Cover the top of the cake first and then the sides. This works best with a palette knife. This is a fine covering – much thinner than the centre of the cake.
• Top Tip: keep you palette knife clean as you work, scraping off excess butter cream regularly. If you let the butter cream build up as you are working you will just be dragging that around instead of creating a smooth, fine covering.
• Transfer your marzipan onto your rolling pin
  • Place your rolling pin on the marzipan so that it creates a horizontal central dividing line and then gently pull up the marzipan farthest away from you so that it comes over the rolling pin. Placing your rolling pin here will reduce the dragging effect as the weight is more evenly distributed than if you flipped a little piece over the rolling pin and then picked it up.
• Transfer the marzipan onto the cake
  • Holding both ends of your pin, move it up onto your cake making sure that there is sufficient marzipan to go over all sides. Having rolled a large piece this shouldn’t be a problem. Gently move the rolling pin over the top of the cake and let the edge of the marzipan rest on the far side of the drum.
• Begin smoothing the top of the cake with the palm of your hands and work to the edges and then down the sides.
  • Remember that you are always trying to push air out of the gap between the cake and your marzipan so the motion should be pushing downwards from top to bottom rather than patting as this is more likely to trap air. As you push down you should notice that there are few, if any folds around the side of your cake.
• Once you have smoothed the marzipan right down to the bottom you can use your smoother to get a nice smooth surface.
  • Don’t be afraid to be firm with the smoother. If you run it over the marzipan gently it won’t make any difference. Make sure you take the smoother right down to the base of the cake and that the marzipan is pushed in and well attached.
• Next trim your marzipan as shown.
  • I recommend a marzipan knife for this as it makes a nice clean cut. Place you knife on the side of the cake as shown. Do not press the point into the join between cake and drum as this is more likely to create tearing around the base. The knife blade should be flat against the cake side. Then you can cut all around the side of the cake. The best way to do this is by turning the the turntable around rather than cutting around the cake. You can either do this in one cut all the way around or in sections.
• Ideally you should now leave your cake for app 6 hours to harden (it is still soft enough to eat).

Transferring your Cake onto a Covered Cake Drum

When your cake drum has hardened take a cake board or card the same size as your cake (in this case 7″) and place centrally on the drum. Now use a scribing tool to make a mark around the board. This acts as a guide when it comes to putting your marzipan covered cake in place ready for the sugarpaste.

• First put a cake drum (same size as the one your cake is currently sitting on) on top of the cake. With your hands either side of the cake, hold the top and bottom drums (thumbs on the top drum and fingers on the bottom). Now flip the cake over (it is held between the cake drums when you do this) so that the bottom of the cake is now at the top.
• Remove the greaseproof paper and brush a small amount of alcohol onto the marzipan. If you do not cover your cake with marzipan or choose not to put it underneath your cake you can use a few dabs of butter cream or jam to secure the cake to the drum.
• Now take your covered drum and lower (sugarpaste side down) onto the marzipan. This is where your scribed line will help as it gives you a guide of where to place the drum. You will need to get down low to see what you are doing.
• Next flip you cake back over so that it is the right way up.

Covering with Sugarpaste

First you need to roll out your sugarpaste to app 5 mm thick. You will need the same quantity as you did for the marzipan covering. When this is rolled out place a plastic sheet over it while you prepare the marzipan for covering. The reason for doing it this way around is that you brush alcohol onto the marzipan to stick the sugarpaste to. If you were to brush the alcohol on and then roll out your sugarpaste, you may find that it has partly or completely evaporated by the time you are ready to attach the sugarpaste.

• Brush clear alcohol onto the surface of your marzipan.
  • This is to prevent bacteria forming between the marzipan layer and sugarpaste layer. You need to brush the alcohol all over the marzipan. If you leave out any sections this is where air bubbles will form on the final covering. Try not to overload your brush as it will drip down the side of your cake and damage the sugarpaste on your cake drum.
• Use the same method as for the marzipan to attach your sugarpaste to your cake.
  • Once you are at the point where you have smooth the sugarpaste with your hands, you can check the top edge of your covering as this is sometimes where small cracks can form. The first thing to do to minimise these is to get good quality sugarpaste. Some supermarket brands are not up to the job and you will also find that one make suits you and not someone else (I will be featuring a comparison test on sugarpaste on my blog). If cracks do appear you can use the palm of your had to get rid of them. This is, for most people the warmest part of your hands and the heat will soften the paste.
• Once this is done you can use your smoother to get a really smooth finish.
  • This is when you may find air bubbles. You should know what your cake design is and therefore should know if air bubbles can easily be covered. For example if your cake is going to have blossoms all over it then you an probably cover an air bubble with no problems. If you need to stick a pin in to release the air you will be left with a hole so think about:
    • whether this will be more noticeable than the bubble.
    • can you make this on the back of the cake or fill it with a tiny piece of sugarpaste or royal icing?
• Trim the sugarpaste the same way as you did the marzipan.

Here is the finished cake which is part of a wedding cake with miniature cakes. Notice that top cakes and miniature cakes are trimmed with ribbon. Most cakes have ribbon or some kind of decoration around the base of the tier. If you have designed your cake with this type of trim don’t worry if you do not have a perfect finish after trimming the sugarpaste.

The post A Guide to Filling and Covering a Cake appeared first on Amanda Macleod.

If any of these designs are yours then please contact me and I will link to your site

The Dalmatian Cupcakes are provided courtesy of Lambertini’s Cakery from Milton Keynes

The amazinfg cupacake design above comes courtesy of Carina’s Cupcakes from Bedford

The Magic Roundabout Cupcakes above come courtesy of Mrs Starkey’s Kitchen from Swindon

The afternoon tea cupcakes are provided courtesy of VS Cakes from west Yorkshire

The cupcakes above were provided courtesy of Fantasy Fondant from Winchester

The purple vintage Jewelry Cupcakes with the Mosiac Mirror Stand is provided courtesy of Mrs Sweets Treats from London

The ’Loves Me Loves Me Not’ cupcakes above are provided courtesy of Simply Delicious from Rochester

The bill and ben cupcakes above are provided courtesy of Deborah Fleming

The Buttons and Bows Cupcakes above are provided courtesy of The Daisy Cake Company from Banstead

The Buttons and Bows Cupcakes above are provided courtesy of Fairydust Bakery from Eltham

The post Cake International 2013 – Cup Cakes Competition Pictures appeared first on Amanda Macleod.

If any of these exhibits belong to you then please drop me a message and I will link to your website.

The display above is provided courtesy of Vasu’s Cakes from Stanford le Hope

The beautiful floral display above is provided courtesy of Jill Tisbury Sugar Artist

The display above also comes from Jill Tisbury

The post Cake International 2013 – Floral Sugarcraft Edible Flower Arrangement Images appeared first on Amanda Macleod.

If any of these cakes are your designs then please contact me and I will link to your website

The DB5 Novelty Cake is provided courtesy of Ultimate Cake Art

The Tan Handbag is provided courtesy of Sugar Kissed Cakery from Hemel Hempstead

The giraffe is provided courtesy of Rose Maries Cakes in Birmingham

This wonderful fox is provided courtesy of Daisy Cakes from London

The Orange Goldfish cake above comes courtesy of Fancy That Cake Company from Dorset

The Frog Prince is provided courtesy of The Pukka Cake Parlour from Essex

The James Bond Car is provided courtesy of Sugar Cream Delights from Thurrock

The post Cake International 2013 – Sculpted Novelty Cake Competition Pictures appeared first on Amanda Macleod.