Novelty and Fantasy Cakes Recipes - Sweetheart Cake

Ingredients

• 20cm round sponge cake

• 115 butter icing

• 45ml apricot jam, warmed and served

• 450g marzipan

• 675g sugar paste icing

• red food coloring

• 15g royal icing

• 25cm round cake board

• spoon with decorative handle

• small greaseproof paper piping bag

• No 1 writing nozzle

• 8 candles and holders

• 1.5m wide ribbon

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Method:

1. Split and fill the cake with butter icing. Place on the cake board and brush with apricot jam. Cover with a layer of marzipan. Tint the sugar-paste icing pale pink and cover the cake and board. Mark the edge with the decorative handle of a spoon.

2. Tint the royal icing dark pink. Make a heart-shaped template and use to pipe the run-outs on greaseproof paper. Using a No 1 writing nozzle, pipe the outlines in a continuous line. Then fill in until the hearts are rounded. You will need eight for the cake top. Leave to dry for at least 2 days.

3. Arrange the hearts on top of the cake and place the candles in the centre. Tie the ribbon round the cake.