Birthday Cake 10 January 2015 at 7:44PM in MoneySaving mums 14 replies 2.6K views

lynseydee

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this so please move if necessary.


I am looking at making my son's birthday cake and top it with fondant icing. Having never done this before I was wondering if there was a different cake recipe that should be used because of the weight of the fondant icing.


Any help would be gratefully received as I would love to be able to make his birthday cake for him.


Thanks.

gayleygoo

My mum often made our cakes and they were usually just a basic victoria sponge cake recipe (vanilla, chocolate etc.) They never seemed to suffer with a weight of icing on top!

My library had some cake decorating books last time I was in. Maybe you could check your local one? They usually have some good tips and recipes in them, useful if this is your first attempt at a decorated birthday cake. Failing that, Pinterest often brings up photo tutorials for fun cakes if you need a little guidance or inspiration.

strwberrysuprise

Hi! I baked both a birthday and Christening cake in the lsat year and I used a standard victoria sponge cake each time, with no issues. Plus it's perfect for a child's birthday cake!

lynseydee

gayleygoo wrote: »

My mum often made our cakes and they were usually just a basic victoria sponge cake recipe (vanilla, chocolate etc.) They never seemed to suffer with a weight of icing on top!

My library had some cake decorating books last time I was in. Maybe you could check your local one? They usually have some good tips and recipes in them, useful if this is your first attempt at a decorated birthday cake. Failing that, Pinterest often brings up photo tutorials for fun cakes if you need a little guidance or inspiration.

strwberrysuprise wrote: »

Hi! I baked both a birthday and Christening cake in the lsat year and I used a standard victoria sponge cake each time, with no issues. Plus it's perfect for a child's birthday cake!

Thanks both, my friend who is always making cakes said the same thing. Don't know why I didn't think to just ask her first :rotfl:

notanewuser

I use this recipe for fondant iced sponge.

http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2009/12/17/baking-the-perfect-madeira-cake/

I use the Nigella chocolate fudge cake recipe for chocolate cakes.

onlyroz

Victoria Sponge will be fine. I also found out today that Aldi sell a rather good chocolate fudge ready-made cake icing for £1.69 a tub. Yum yum...

notanewuser

If anything is going on top or being stacked, victoria sponge won't be fine. The OP hasn't told us enough to know.

peachyprice

notanewuser wrote: »

If anything is going on top or being stacked, victoria sponge won't be fine. The OP hasn't told us enough to know.

I make all my cakes with victoria sponge/chocolate sponge, with all sorts of decorations on top and tiered, they've all been fine.

Example:

http://s1207.photobucket.com/user/peachyprice/media/IMG-20130728-00910.jpg.html?sort=3&o=11

I have many others. None have collapsed, ever.

notanewuser

peachyprice wrote: »

I make all my cakes with victoria sponge/chocolate sponge, with all sorts of decorations on top and tiered, they've all been fine.

Example:

http://s1207.photobucket.com/user/peachyprice/media/IMG-20130728-00910.jpg.html?sort=3&o=11

I have many others. None have collapsed, ever.

You can tell from the picture that your bottom tier has been squashed by the weight above it by the massive ripple in the icing on the outside.

I'd have used madeira, boards and dowels for that one!

peachyprice

notanewuser wrote: »

You can tell from the picture that your bottom tier has been squashed by the weight above it by the massive ripple in the icing on the outside.

I'd have used madeira, boards and dowels for that one!

:rotfl:

No it hasn't been squashed by weight, there is no ripple, it was carved to that shape because it's a 'beehive' shape. Beehives don't have straight sides.

Dowels, boards and madiera would have been massive overkill.

notanewuser

peachyprice wrote: »

:rotfl:

No it hasn't been squashed by weight, there is no ripple, it was carved to that shape because it's a 'beehive' shape. Beehives don't have straight sides.

Dowels, boards and madiera would have been massive overkill.

Oh, of course.