Novelty and Fantasy Cakes Recipes - Shirt and Tie Cake

Ingredients

• Coffee sponge cake, baked in a 19 x 26.5cm loaf tin

• 350g coffee flavor butter icing

• 90ml apricot jam, warmed and sieved

• good 1kg sugar paste icing

• blue food coloring

• 125g icing sugar, sifted

• 45-60ml water

• 30 x 39cm cake board

• steel ruler

• small greaseproof paper piping bag

• small round nozzle

• card collar template

• "Happy Birthday" decoration

• tissue paper (optional)

---

Method:

1. Cut the cake in half horizontally and sandwich together with the butter icing. Brush the cake with apricot jam. Color 675g, cups sugar-paste icing light blue and roll out to about 5mm thick. Use to cover the whole cake. Trim away any excess icing. Place the cake on the cake board.

2. Using a steel ruler, make grooves down the length and sides of the cake, about 2.5cm apart. Mix the icing sugar and water to make a glace icing to pipe into the grooves.

3. To make the collar, roll out 225g/8oz cups sugar-paste icing to a 40.5 x 10cm rectangle. Lay the piece of card for the collar on top. Brush water around the edges, then carefully lift one edge over the card to encase it completely. Trim the two short ends to match the angles of the card. Lift the collar and gently bend it round and position on the cake.

4. Color 175g/6oz/1 cup sugar-paste icing dark blue. Cut off one-third and shape info a tie knot. Position the knot. Roll out the rest to about 5mm thick. Cut out a tie piece to fit under the knot and long enough to hang over the edge of the cake. Position the tie piece, tucking it under the knot and securing in place with a little water. Finish the cake with the "Happy Birthday" decoration and tissue paper, if using.