Children's Party Cakes Recipes - Chessboard Cake

Ingredients

• 25cm square sponge cake

• 225g butter icing

• 60ml apricot jam, warmed and sieved

• 800g marzipan

• 500g cups sugar-paste icing

• black and red food coloring

• edible silver balls

• 115g royal icing

• 30cm square cake board

• small greaseproof paper piping bag

• No 8 star nozzle

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Method:

1. Split and fill the cake with butter icing. Place on the board and brush with jam. Roll out 450g of marzipan and use to cover the cake. Then cover with 450g I of the sugar-paste  icing. Leave to dry overnight.

2. Divide the remaining marzipan into two, and tint black and red. To shape the chess pieces, roll 50g each color into a sausage and cut into eight equal pieces. Shape into pawns

3. Divide 75g/3oz generous 4 tbsp of each color into six equal pieces and use to shape into two castles, two knights and two bishops.

4. Divide 25g/1oz/2 tbsp of each color marzipan in half and shape a queen and a king. Decorate with silver balls. Leave to dry overnight.

5. Cut 1cm black strips of marzipan to edge the board and stick in place with water. Pipe a border round the base of the cake with royal icing. Place the chess pieces in position.