Fun and Original Character Cakes. Maisie Parrish

      Every part of this huge animal is thick, fat and round. You could give him all sorts of expressions but this one is my favourite. The head is formed from a large cone, and then you pull out the trunk and continue to shape the face. The ears are made from oval shapes.

       Crow

      What a classic cartoon character this bird is. The construction of the head is very simple, using three cone shapes, two circles and four balls, plus a few feathers.

       Dog

      I couldn’t complete an animal book without including my favourite Old English sheepdog. He never fails to enchant, with a simple tussled head that makes him irresistible. He is made using a cone shape for the head, flattened at the front, and simply covered in a sunburst of tapered cone shapes.

       Cake Recipes

      Before you can get on to the business of decorating your cake, first you need to bake it! While there are thousands of books on cake making for you to refer to, here are my tried-and-tested recipes for both sponge and fruit cakes and for the small cakes that you will find at the end of every project.

       Madeira Cake

      This is a very nice firm cake that will keep for up to two weeks, giving you plenty of time to decorate it. It can also be frozen. I use it because if you are placing sugarpaste characters on the top it stays firm and will not sink. The recipe here is for a plain cake, but you can flavour both the sponge and the buttercream (see page 24) to suit your own taste.

       Tip

       The temperatures stated and baking times given are for fan-assisted ovens, which is what I use. If you are using a conventional oven, you will need to adjust the timings accordingly.

       Ingredients

       For a 20cm (8in) round cake

      * 115g (4oz) plain flour

      * 225g (8oz) self-raising flour

      * 225g (8oz) unsalted butter (at room temperature)

      * 225g (8oz) caster sugar

      * 4 eggs

       Method

      1 Pre-heat the oven to 160°C (320°F, Gas Mark 3). Grease the tin and line with greaseproof paper, then grease the paper as well.

      2 Sift the flours into a large mixing bowl and add the butter and sugar. Beat together until the mixture is pale and smooth. Add the eggs and beat well, adding more flour if the mixture becomes too loose.

      3 Spoon the mixture into the tin, and then make a dip in the top with the back of a spoon to prevent the cake from rising too much.

      4 Bake in the centre of the oven for 1–1¼ hours. Test the cake (see tip opposite) and when it is cooked, remove it from the oven and leave it to stand in the tin for about 5 minutes, then turn it out on to a wire rack to cool fully.

      5 Cover the cake around the sides and top with a coating of buttercream (see page 24), then cover with rolled sugarpaste (see page 26).

       Rich Fruit Cake

      This delicious cake improves with time, so always store it away before decorating it. I find it is generally at its best four weeks after baking, provided it is stored properly and fed with a little extra brandy!

       Tip

       Test whether a cake is ready by inserting a fine cake skewer into the centre. If the cake is ready, the skewer will come out clean, if not, replace the cake for a few more minutes and then test it again.

       Ingredients

       For a 20cm (8in) cake

      * 575g (1lb 4¼oz) currants

      * 225g (8oz) sultanas

      * 85g (3oz) glacé cherries

      * 85g (3oz) mixed peel

      * 60ml (4tbsp) brandy

      * 285g (10oz) plain flour

      * 2.5ml (½tsp) salt

      * 1.25ml (¼tsp) nutmeg

      * 3.75ml (¾tsp) mixed spice

      * 285g (10oz) dark soft brown sugar

      * 285g (10oz) butter (at room temperature)

      * 5 eggs

      * 85g (3oz) chopped almonds

      * Grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

      * 15ml (1tbsp) black treacle

       Method

      1 Place all the fruit and peel into a bowl and mix in the brandy. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave to soak for 24 hours.

      2 Pre-heat the oven to 140°C (275°F, Gas Mark 1). Grease the tin and line with greaseproof paper, then grease the paper as well.

      3 Sieve the flour, salt and spices into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy.

      4 Beat the eggs and then add a little at a time to the creamed butter and sugar, beating well after each addition. If the mixture looks as if it is going to curdle, add a little flour.

      5 When all the eggs have been added, fold in the flour and spices. Then stir in the soaked fruit and peel, the chopped almonds, treacle and the grated orange and lemon zest.

      6 Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon.

      7 Tie some cardboard or brown paper around the outside of the tin to prevent the cake from overcooking on the outside before the inside is done, then cover the top with a double thickness of greaseproof paper with a small hole in the centre to let any steam escape.

      8 Bake the cake on the lower shelf of the oven for 4¼-4¾ hours. Do not look at the cake until at least 4 hours have passed, then test it (see tip above left).

      9 When cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin. When quite cold, remove from the tin but leave the greaseproof paper on as this helps to keep the cake moist. Turn the cake upside down and wrap in more greaseproof paper, then loosely in polythene and store in an airtight tin. Store in a cool, dry place.

      10 You can feed the cake with brandy during the storage time. To do this, make a few holes in the surface of the cake with a fine skewer and sprinkle a few drops of brandy on to the surface. Reseal and store as above. Do not do this too often though or you will make the cake soggy.

      11 Glaze the cake with apricot glaze (see page 25), then cover with rolled marzipan and sugarpaste (see pages 26–28).

       Mini Cakes

      These