Special Occasion Cakes Recipes - Eighteenth Birthday Cake

Ingredients

• 33.5 x 20cm diamond-shaped deep rich or light fruit cake

• 45ml apricot jam, warmed and sieved

• 1.1kg marzipan

• 1.6kg sugar-paste

• black food coloring

• 30ml royal icing

• 38 x 23 cm diamond-shaped cake board

• "18" template

• small greaseproof paper piping bag

• No 1 writing nozzle

• 2m white ribbon, 2.5cm wide

• 2m black ribbon, 3mm wide

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Method:

1. Make the cake using quantities for a 23cm/9in round cake. Brush with apricot jam. Cover in marzipan. Place on the cake board. Cover the cake using 1.2kg sugar-paste icing. Knead the trimmings into the remaining sugar-paste and tint black.

2. Use two-thirds of the black sugar-paste to cover the board.

3. Use a quarter of the remaining sugar-paste to cut out a number "18" using a template. Use the rest to cut out a variety of bow ties, wine glasses and music notes. Leave to dry on greaseproof paper.

4. Tint the royal icing black. Using a No 1 writing nozzle, attach the cut-outs to the cake top and sides.

5. Tie four small bows with the black ribbon. Secure with icing to the top comers. Position and secure black ribbon around the cake base and white ribbon around the board.