Decorative Cakes Recipes -  Traditional Wedding Cake

Ingredients

• 15 cm/6 inch and 22 cm/9 Inch round fruit cakes (refer recipe)

• 22 cm/9 inch and 30 cm/12 inch hexagonal fruit cakes (refer recipe)

• 800 g/1 3/4 lb petal paste (refer recipe)

• white sugared food colors: gold * , cream, Christmas green or spruce green

• dusting powders: apple green, moss green, brown

• 450 g/1lb apricot jam, boiled

• icing sugar for dusting

• 4.2 kg/9 1/2 lb marzipan

• 4.6 kg/10 1/2 lb ivory ready-to-roll icing

• 1 tablespoon royal icing (refer recipe)

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Method:

1. First make the flowers. For the arum lilies: tape together three 24-gauge wires; repeat three more times. Cut each in half and hook the end of each. Roll tapering sausages of petal paste, about 8 cm/3 inches long and 5 mm/1/4 inch wide at the base. Dip the hooked end of the taped wire in water and insert halfway into the icing: this forms the 'tongue' of the lily. Leave overnight to dry in a curved shape.

2. The next day, dampen with a little water and coat in sugared. When dry, paint with gold food color and leave to dry for 1 hour. Roll out some white petal paste very thinly. Cut a large teardrop shape, about 10 cm/ 4 inches long. Dampen the base with a little water and wrap around the base of the 'tongue'. Place in the foam, with the heads of the flowers hanging downwards, and leave to dry for at least 6 hours.

3. For the roses: as for the arum lilies, tape 24-gauge wires together in bunches of three, cut them in half and hook the ends. You will need 15-20 of these. Using petal paste, make a cone for each rose, about 2.5-4 cm/1- 1 1/2 inches long, attach to a wire and leave to dry overnight.

4. Make a cardboard template for a rose petal, about 5 cm/2 inches long and 4 cm/1 1/2 inches wide. Color 50 g/2 oz of petal paste dark cream. Roll out very thinly and use the template to cut two petals for each rose.

5. Gently lift up one of the petals, and cover the rest with a plastic bag to prevent them from drying out. Dust the palm of your hand with icing sugar and rest the petal in the centre. Using the ball tool, thin the outside edge of the petal. Brush the base and sides with water and wrap tightly around a cone. Repeat with another petal, with the centre of the second petal over.