Decorative Cakes Recipes - Mermaid Cake Recipe

Method :

Cut the cake into a rock shape, using the trimmings to build up height. Brush with jam, cover with marzipan (refer recipe) and leave to dry. Roll out the green pastillage thinly and cut out lots of seaweed. Leave to dry overnight on crumpled foil. Roll out 25 g/1 oz of white pastillage and cut out two fish. Skewer on to wires and leave to dry overnight before painting.

Roll out the grey icing and cover the cake (refer recipe). Use the trimmings to make the rock ledges; attach to the cake. Shade the rock with black dusting powder. Roll out the cream icing and cover the board (refer recipe). Using the ball tool, indent the ripples around the rock.

For the oyster, use the black icing to make a ball. Make the shell using 25 g/1 oz of white pastillage; stick to the ball. Pipe some royal icing over the shell and smooth out slightly with a damp brush. When dry, paint with diluted honey pearl powder. Make the eyes from a little white icing, stick on and paint the centers black.

For the mermaid, form the body and tail from 150 g/ 5 oz of the flesh-colored icing. Score scales on the tail, then paint blue and green. Using the white icing, model the tail fins, then paint with honey pearl powder and ice blue. Model the head, neck and arms and attach to the body with water. Paint on the face. Color a pinch of icing green and make the bikini top; attach to the body. Using the paprika pastillage, model the hair and attach.

Make the octopus from the purple icing, mark with the tip of the piping nozzle and stick to the cake. Make the coral from the remaining pastillage, thin the edges and dot with cocktail sticks; attach to the rock. Push the seaweed gently into the icing and position the fish.