Fun and Original Children's Cakes. Maisie Parrish

ball and flattening the top with a finger. A circle was cut out for the brim and attached to the head

       Creating Animal Characters

      Using the basic shapes as a starting point (see page 15), you can create a vast selection of different animals full of personality and charm. Each project gives detailed instructions for creating the featured characters, but here is a sample of some additional animals with advice on how to model them. Use these examples to practise and hone your modelling skills before you launch into the cake projects.

      Mouse

      Mice are well known for causing trouble and can be great characters to have on a cake. They come in many sizes and shapes, but all have shared characteristics. The shorter the nose the cuter the mouse will look; if it gets too long it will start to look more like a rat. Three basic shapes are needed: ball, cone and oval.

      Hair – three long tapered cone shapes

      Monkey

      This cheeky money is almost the same as the mouse, but we make him with balls of different sizes. His tuft of hair at the top makes him look really cute. He can be made using eight balls and sausage shapes for the eyebrows.

      Lion

      The lion is, of course, the King of the jungle, but my lion has such a sweet innocent look, he couldn’t harm anyone. He is made from six balls, plus one large and one small cone shape.

      Rabbit

      This happy-go-lucky countryside resident is always ready for his next meal. He is full of character with his cross-eyed look and long ears. His eyes are close together and he has a distinctive goofy smile. He is made using eight cone shapes, five balls and four ovals.

      Elephant

      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 a 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 26) 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) butter (at room temperature) 225g (8oz) caster sugar 4 eggs

       Method

      1 Pre-heat the oven to 160ºC (320ºF, 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 26), then cover with rolled sugarpaste (see page 28).

       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