6 For the sides, lift, flatten and rearrange any folds at the bottom removing any creases. Do not smooth downwards as this may cause a tear at the top edge. With your hand, ease the sugarpaste inwards at the base and smooth the sides with an inward motion using your hand and a smoother.
7 Trim the bottom edge with a marzipan knife (D). Trim the paste in stages as the icing shrinks back.
8 Check the surface and sides for any flaws and re-smooth if necessary. For air bubbles, insert a pin or fine needle into the bubble at an angle and gently rub the air out, then re-smooth to remove the tiny hole.
9 Once you are happy with the surface, use either the smoother or the palm of your hand and polish the top of the cake to create a glossy finish.
10 Ideally the sugarpaste should be left to dry for one or two days at room temperature before the cake is decorated.
Tip
Keep the dusting of icing (confectioners’) sugar on the work surface very light; too much will dry out the paste and make it crack.
Covering the Cake Board
Moisten the board with cooled boiled water, then roll out the specified quantity of sugarpaste to an even thickness, ideally using spacing rods. Cover the board completely with sugarpaste using the same method as for the covering of the cake, smoothing the paste out and trimming the edges neatly with a marzipan knife. Some paste can then be saved by removing a circle from the centre of the board, which will be covered by the cake. For a professional finish edge the board with ribbon, securing it with non-toxic glue.
Tip
An alternative method for covering a board involves placing the cake on to the board prior to covering them, then using a single piece of sugarpaste to cover them both. The sugarpaste needs to be rolled out much larger for this method.
Covering the cake board in sugarpaste gives your cakes a really professional appearance and allows you to add extra decorations and embellishments. As a finishing touch, edge the board with a length of toning ribbon.
Covering a Cake with Marzipan
A layer of marzipan is used on fruit cakes only. Sponge cakes should be covered with buttercream prior to covering with sugarpaste. For fruit cakes, coat first with apricot glaze (see essential purchases) as this will help the marzipan to stick. The quantity of marzipan required will depend on the size of the cake, but as a general guide, half the weight of the cake will give you the correct weight of marzipan.
1 Place the glazed cake onto a sheet of greaseproof paper. Place the marzipan in between spacing rods and roll to an even thickness large enough to cover the cake.
2 Lift the marzipan onto the rolling pin and place it over the cake. Push the marzipan into the sides of the cake using a cupped hand to ensure there are no air pockets.
3 Trim off any excess marzipan with a knife and then run cake smoothers along the sides and the top of the cake until they are straight.
4 Leave the marzipan to dry for one or two days in a cool temperature.
5 Before applying the sugarpaste, sterilize the surface of the cake by brushing the marzipan with a clear spirit such as gin, vodka or kirsch. Ensure the entire surface is moist; if there are any dry areas the paste will not stick to the marzipan and could result in air bubbles.
Tip
If you are using marzipan, make sure nobody eating the cake is allergic to nuts. This is very important as nut allergies are serious and can have fatal consequences.
Dowelling Cakes
A stacked cake is dowelled to avoid the possibility of the upper tiers sinking into the lower tiers. The Retail Therapy cake is the only cake that requires dowelling but you could use this technique to add extra tiers to any of the other cakes, if you want to adapt the designs.
1 Place a cake board the same size as the tier above in the centre of the bottom tier cake. Scribe around the edge of the board (A) leaving an outline and then remove the board.
2 Insert a wooden dowel vertically into the cake 2.5cm (1in) from the outline, down to the cake board below. Take a pencil and mark the dowel level with the surface of the cake (B) and then remove the dowel.
3 Tape together the number of dowels required (four is usually sufficient), and then draw a line across using the marked dowel as a guide (C). You can then saw across all the dowels to make them exactly the same length. Alternatively, you can unwrap the marked dowels and cut each of them separately with a pair of pliers or strong kitchen scissors.
4 Place the cut dowel back into the hole, then arrange the other dowels into the three, six and nine o’clock positions to the first one (D). Ensure that all the inserted dowels are level and have flat tops.
5 The cake board of the upper tier should rest on the dowels and not on the cake. The very slight gap in between the cake and the board of the upper tier will not be noticed and is normally covered by decoration.
Have Your Cake and Eat It!
You may well have cooked up a storm and made the perfect party cake, but how do you get your creation from kitchen to guest without a hitch? Storing the cake ahead of the event is the first consideration, then, if the party is not at your home, transporting it to the venue in one piece is of primary importance. Finally, some top tips follow on cutting the cake and removing items before eating it.
Cake Boxes
The most essential item for safe storage and transportation of your cake is a strong box designed for the job. You can buy special boxes for stacked cakes (see Suppliers) that open up at the front to enable the cake to slide inside. The front then closes and finally the lid is placed on the top. Make sure the box is deep and high enough to take the cake without damaging it when the lid goes on. To make the cake even safer inside the box, you can buy non-slip matting from most DIY stores. A piece of this cut to size and placed under the cake board will prevent it moving around inside the box.
Tip
Keep your cakes away from direct sunlight at all times, as bright light will fade the sugarpaste.
Room Temperature
The temperature of the room the cake is stored in is crucial to its condition. If your house or the party venue is very humid it can be disastrous. You would do well to invest in a portable dehumidifier to keep the moisture at bay, especially during wet