Decorative Cakes Recipes -  Valentine's Bed Cake

Ingredients

• 20 cm/8 inch square chocolate sponge

• 600 g/1 1/4lb butter cream (refer recipe : make twice the amount)              

• 2.2 kg/5 lb ready-to-roll icing:

• 1.8 kg/4 lb white,

• 400 g/14 oz red,

• 25 g/1 oz brown,

• 25 g/1 oz flesh food colors: red, brown, paprika/flesh

• 150 g/5 oz pastillage (refer recipe)

• 50 g/2 oz royal icing (refer recipe), colored red

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Method:

1. Trim the cake to a 20 x 15 cm/ 8 x 6 inch rectangle, then slice into two layers. Sandwich the layers with butter cream and spread a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake. Place on the cake board. Roll out half the white icing and cover the cake (see recipe). Roll out the pastillage and cut out a headboard shape about 15 cm/6 inches square. Leave to dry overnight, then paint brown.

2. Roll out the red icing and stick to the board with a little water. Roll out some more of the white icing and cut several trills to form the valance; attach to the cake with a lithe water.

3. Knead the trimmings together and model the pillows and bases of the bodies. Attach to the cake with water. Roll out the brown icing, score it with the back of a knife to make the hair, then stick to the pillow. Model the feet from the flesh-colored icing; attach to the cake.

4. Roll out the remaining white icing. Mark the quilting with a pastry wheel, trim to a rectangle and drape over the bed. Using the red royal icing, pipe the hearts over the quilt. Finally, stick on the headboard.