Novelty and Fantasy Cakes Recipes - Barley Twist Cake

Ingredients

• 20cm round sponge cake

• 115g butter icing

• 45ml apricot jam, warmed and sieved

• 450g marzipan

• 450g pale yellow sugar paste icing

• 115g whit sugar paste icing

• 115g royal icing

• blue food coloring

• pink dusting powder

• 25cm round cake board

• wooden cocktail stick

• wooden cocktail stick

• fine paintbrush

• No 1 plain nozzle

• small greaseproof paper piping bags

• 6 small blue bows

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Method:

1. Split and fill the cake with butter icing. Place on the board and brush with jam. Cover with marzipan, then yellow sugar-paste icing, extending it over the board. Mark six equidistant points around the cake with a cocktail stick.

2. Color 40g/1 tbsp of white sugar-paste icing pale blue and roll out thinly. Moisten a paintbrush with water and brush lightly over it. Roll out the same quantity of white icing, lay on top and press together. Roll out to a 20cm/8in square.

3. Cut 5cm strips, carefully twist each one, moisten the six marked points around the cake with water and drape each barley twist into place, pressing lightly to stick to the cake.

4. Cut out a jersey shape from white icing and stick on with water. Roll some icing into a ball and color a small amount dark blue. Roll into two tapering 7.5cm/3in needles with a small ball at the end. Dry overnight. Stick the needles and ball in position. Using royal icing and a No 1 nozzle, pipe the stitches and wool in position. Pipe a white border around the base of the cake. Stick small bows around the edge of the cake with a little royal icing and carefully brush the knitting with red powder Tint.