fairy castle cake
- 3 x quantities basic vanilla cake
(see link to recipe in step 1) - 2 large ice-cream cones
- 3 small ice-cream cones
- 200g white chocolate, melted
- 6 x 500g packets store-bought ready-to-roll fondant icing
- 2 x 300g vanilla jam rolls
- 3 x 45g vanilla jam rolls
- pink food colouring
- 5 x bamboo or wooden skewers
- mini white marshmallows, to decorate
- large white marshmallows, to decorate
- white ribbon, to decorate
- Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Follow the basic vanilla cake recipe. Divide mixture between 1 x 30cm-round and 1 x 18cm-round lightly greased cake tins lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake the 30cm-round cake for 2 hours and 15 minutes and the 18cm-round cake for 1 hour and 25–30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in tins for 5 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- To decorate, dip the ice-cream cones into the melted chocolate and place on a lightly greased wire rack until set. Knead 3 packets (1.5kg) of icing on a clean surface until pliable. Roll out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm-thick and use the baking paper to lift the icing over the large cake+. Drape icing over the cake, smoothing out creases. Trim excess and discard.
- Knead another packet (500g) of icing on a clean surface until pliable and roll out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm-thick. Drape icing over the 18cm-round cake, smoothing out creases. Trim excess and position cake on the 30cm-round cake.
- Knead another 2 packets (1kg) of icing on a clean surface until pliable. Roll out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm-thick and use to cover the jam rolls (see image, below right), reserving excess icing. Push skewers into the jam rolls and arrange on the cakes to make towers. Place the cones on the towers and decorate cake with the marshmallows.
- Add a drop of pink colouring to the reserved icing, adding more until desired colour is achieved, and knead until colour is even. Roll out to 3mm-thick and cut 6 x 4cm-high windows, 9 x 2cm-high windows and 1 x 6cm x 5cm door from the icing. Brush the back of the windows and door with water and press onto the cake. Make a light indent down the centre of the door and wrap ribbon around the large towers. Serves 12–14.
+ It’s a good idea to overlap two large sheets of baking paper to make a large surface area for kneading and rolling the icing. Peel off the top layer of paper and carefully lift the sheet, icing facing downwards, over the cake.
© DONNA HAY GROUP
